From Mbale to Edmonton: Dr. Samuel Wanendeya Watulatsu’s North America Tour Champions Proposed Twinning Arrangement Between Mbale and Edmonton City in Canada

A quiet but significant diplomatic initiative unfolding in Canada could soon place Mbale on the map of international municipal cooperation. At the center of this effort is Dr. Samuel Wanendeya Watulatsu, a Ugandan scholar, development practitioner, and founder of the Foundation for Development of Needy Communities (FDNC), whose recent visit to Canada is being viewed as a strategic step toward strengthening ties between Uganda and Canada through people-to-people diplomacy.

During his recent North American tour, Dr. Watulatsu carried with him more than academic credentials and development experience. He also carried the aspirations of a growing Ugandan city seeking international partnerships that can help shape its future. On May 18, while in Edmonton, he formally delivered a letter from Mbale City leadership proposing a twinning relationship between Mbale and Edmonton.

The proposal seeks to establish long-term cooperation between the two cities in areas such as tourism, education, cultural exchange, environmental conservation, urban governance, digital systems, and public service delivery. According to the communication from Mbale City authorities, the partnership is intended to strengthen bonds of friendship while creating practical opportunities for growth and development for both communities.

The proposal was received by Anne Stevenson, a councillor representing O-day’min Ward in Edmonton. Stevenson reportedly pledged to follow up the matter with relevant city authorities. Dr. Watulatsu also held discussions with Andrew Knack on possible areas where the two cities could learn from each other, particularly in urban management, environmental sustainability, innovation, and service delivery systems.

The visit later extended to the provincial level after Dr. Watulatsu was formally introduced at the Legislative Assembly of Alberta by David Shepherd. Shepherd described the introduction as part of efforts to foster practical cooperation between Uganda and Alberta and to encourage partnerships that benefit both communities socially and economically.

Expanding Uganda–Canada Collaboration

Beyond municipal diplomacy, Dr. Watulatsu’s visit also focused on building broader institutional and academic partnerships between Uganda and Canada.

In Ottawa and Edmonton, he met staff from the offices of Canadian Members of Parliament Heather McPherson and Ziad Aboultaif. Discussions reportedly centered on opportunities for development cooperation, education exchange programs, and partnerships that can support grassroots transformation initiatives in Uganda.

One of the most notable engagements during the tour involved a meeting with Dr. Austin Mardon, an internationally respected scholar, mental health advocate, and Executive Director of the Antarctic Institute of Canada. Dr. Mardon, who has openly shared his lived experience with schizophrenia, is globally recognized for his mental health advocacy work and scientific expeditions in Antarctica during the 1980s.

The two development thinkers discussed possibilities of collaboration between Canadian researchers and the Uganda Academy of Sciences to address Uganda’s growing mental health challenges. Uganda continues to face a shortage of mental health professionals, treatment facilities, and community-based support systems, especially in rural communities.

The proposed collaboration would aim at adapting Canadian mental health training models, research frameworks, and lived-experience approaches to Uganda’s local realities. Observers believe such partnerships could significantly strengthen community mental health support systems and increase awareness around mental wellness in Uganda.

Why the Proposed Twinning Matters

Since its elevation to city status, Mbale has increasingly positioned itself as a regional urban center with ambitions of modernization, innovation, and improved service delivery. However, city leaders acknowledge that achieving these goals requires partnerships, exposure, and learning from cities that have successfully implemented modern urban systems.

A twinning arrangement with Edmonton could potentially offer Mbale access to valuable knowledge in waste management, digital governance, urban transport planning, environmental sustainability, and community health programming.

For Edmonton, the partnership offers an opportunity to deepen engagement with East Africa through cultural exchange, educational partnerships, tourism, and municipal innovation. Analysts note that such city-to-city diplomacy has become an increasingly important avenue for international cooperation because it directly connects communities and institutions beyond national governments.

The Mayor of Mbale City, Her Worship Joyce Matuka Kidulu, welcomed Dr. Watulatsu’s efforts and praised his commitment to promoting the city through the Mbale City Development Forum.

According to the Mayor, Mbale leaders must embrace innovation, strengthen systems, and prepare the city to effectively manage future opportunities and investments. She emphasized the importance of learning, re-learning, and adopting modern approaches if the city is to regain its status as one of Uganda’s clean and organized urban centers.

Mayor Kidulu further pledged to work closely with development partners and technical teams to ensure that Mbale is ready to benefit from international partnerships and future development initiatives.

A Scholar and Community Builder

Dr. Watulatsu’s growing international profile is rooted in more than three decades of grassroots development work. A respected scholar-practitioner, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Management, and recently completed his PhD.

He currently serves as Coordinator for Global Partnerships at the Mbale City Development Forum, where he helps connect local government institutions, civil society organizations, and international networks. He also chairs the lobbying, advocacy, and communications efforts for the proposed Mbale University of Science and Technology.

As founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Development of Needy Communities (FDNC), Dr. Watulatsu has championed programs focused on climate resilience, youth empowerment, social enterprise development, institutional strengthening, mental health systems, and sustainable livelihoods.

His work has particularly been recognized for integrating social work, mental health advocacy, and community-based development approaches to address the needs of marginalized communities across the Bugisu sub-region and beyond.

Dr. Watulatsu was also recognized nationally after emerging third in the New Vision Best Teachers competition in 2013, further cementing his reputation as an educator and transformational leader.

Those close to him describe him as a strong believer in unlocking local potential and connecting grassroots realities with global opportunities. His philosophy, “Think globally, act locally,” continues to shape his development initiatives and international outreach efforts.

Mbale City now awaits a formal response from Edmonton City Council regarding the proposed twinning arrangement. Should the proposal be approved, officials say the next phase would involve the establishment of a joint working committee to identify pilot projects for implementation.

Potential areas of early cooperation include strategic management training, youth exchange programs, urban resilience initiatives, digital governance systems, and community development partnerships.

For many observers, Dr. Watulatsu’s visit represents more than a diplomatic courtesy. It demonstrates how local leaders and development practitioners from Uganda can actively shape international cooperation by building relationships that directly benefit ordinary citizens.

As global cities increasingly collaborate to solve shared challenges, the emerging Mbale–Edmonton dialogue could become an example of how grassroots diplomacy creates opportunities for learning, innovation, and mutual growth across continents.