He is the head of department of Regional Economic Cooperation, at the Uganda Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since June 2022.

Later he served in Uganda's Embassy to the United States based in Washington, DC and was promoted to First Secretary, responsible for Economic, Congressional and Press Affairs.

While there, he is credited with the proper supervision of the construction of the Uganda Chancery, saving the government over USh400 million (approximately US$115,000) in annual rent expenses.

Richard Kabonero is personally credited with the improvement of relations between Uganda and Rwanda, which were frayed during the Second Congo War.

[6] In January 2017, after 10 years in Kigali, he was transferred to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as the substantive High Commissioner.