U.S. Appoints William Popp As New Ambassador To Uganda

By Gad Masereka

The United States Mission in Uganda announced the appointment of William W. Popp as the new United States Ambassador to Uganda, succeeding Natalie E. Brown.

The embassy made the announcement on Platform X (formerly known as Twitter), writing, “U.S. Mission in Uganda is pleased to introduce U.S. Ambassador William W. Popp.

Under his direction, we anticipate building connections with the people of Uganda that are even deeper and more significant.

According to the US Embassy website, Popp was appointed ambassador to Uganda on July 27, 2023, after being confirmed by the Senate as a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor.

Popp served as the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Mission in Brazil, where he was also the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. from 2018 to 2020, as well as the Ambassador to Guatemala from 2020 to 2023.

Prior to that, from 2015 to 2017, he served as the political counselor and subsequently the acting deputy chief of mission at the American Embassy in Kenya. For the 2015 Summit of the Americas, Mr. Popp served as the Director of the Office of Regional Economic Policy and Summit Coordination in the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

Popp attended the National War College in Washington, D.C. from 2012 to 2013, where he was chosen for Senior Leadership Training and completed a Master of Science in National Security Strategy.

Prior to that, from 2009 to 2012, he served as the acting principal officer and then the principal officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Other abroad assignments can be found at the American embassies in Nicaragua, Colombia, and Angola.

Popp graduated from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, with a bachelor’s degree, and the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., with a master’s degree. He is conversant in Portuguese and Spanish and has received various accolades from the State Department.