Stanbic Bank Uganda in partnership with the Energy Industries Council (EIC) and the British High Commission have hosted a high-powered trade delegation from the UK who were in the country to introduce British Oil and Gas goods and services providers to Uganda and also facilitate JVs partnerships and strategic alliances with Ugandan businesses.

The delegation, the first by a UK trade envoy to Uganda, was led by Lord Dolar Popat, who is the UK Prime Minister’s Trade envoy to Uganda and Rwanda.

Welcoming the guest of honour, Irene Muloni Uganda’s Minister of Energy said that Lord Popat “is a true son of the soil who has returned home to make a difference”.

“Uganda needs investors who not only come looking to make a return but have the best interests of the country at heart. Given your origins, we surely believe you are here for the right cause,” she said.

Giving a keynote address, Lord Popat who was born in Uganda, Busolwe and grew up in Tororo till when he left the country at 17 years thanked the Minister and Government for the warm welcome.

“As the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Uganda, I am delighted to be leading the EIC delegation to Uganda. Britain’s oil and gas industry has tremendous expertise and Uganda’s growing energy market – with planned refinery, pipeline and field development project is a perfect place to engage in opportunities. As is the theme for this conference, it is important that oil and gas develops Ugandans and UK companies are here to support that.”

Speaking at the event, Stanbic Bank Chief Executive Patrick Mweheire welcomed the delegation to the country noting, that the UK is a key trading partner for Uganda given the common history we share.

“British companies are therefore well positioned to be valuable participants in the development of Uganda’s hydro carbon sector.”

He continued, “As a bank, we firmly believe the Oil and Gas sector is one of the catalysts that will proactively lead Ugandas economic transformation given the multiple subsectors it touches. This will only happen however if local companies are given the opportunity to participate as active partners in its planning, execution and development. Stanbic Uganda is already playing its part to make this possible and has hosted several local content awareness workshops, collaboration conferences and forums aimed at up skilling local players and fostering partnerships.”

The trade forum was held under the theme ‘Unlocking opportunities in the oil & gas supply chain’. Participants in the panel discussion moderated by the Stanbic Chief Executive included Ernest Rubondo the Executive Director of the Uganda Petroleum Authority, Hon Elly Karuhanga the Chairman of the Uganda Chamber Mines, Jimmy Mugerwa the General Manager of Tullow Uganda and Phil Haymes  DIT UK Oil and Gas Specialist.

Over 15 Billion dollars is projected as investments required for the full development of Ugandas Oil and Gas industry which is expected to peak in 2030 with 300,000 barrels being produced on a daily basis. Over 80% of the budget has been earmarked for the development of related infrastructure, an Oil refinery and 1,445km pipeline recently launched by the Presidents of Uganda and Tanzania.

Stanbic Bank Uganda alongside Japans Sumitomi Mitsui of Japan were appointed as joint financial advisers for the oil pipeline which will connect Ugandas oilfields in the West of the country to the port of  Tanga in Tanzania. The bank plans to raise $3 billion USD for the project in the second half of 2018 as Uganda prepares to start oil production by 2020.

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With Parliament having been expected to resume business this afternoon, the Legislative body had backtracked on its earlier plans to debate on the ongoing doctor’s strike after the plenary sitting was cancelled.

In her November 20, 2017 letter, Jane Kibirige, the Clerk to Parliament announced that the plenary sitting had been pushed to next week, without giving reasons for the postponement.

“Following my communication of 10^th November 2017 in regard to the resumption of plenary sittings: this is to inform you that due to unavoidable circumstances, plenary sitting which had been scheduled for Wednesday 22^nd November 2017, has been postponed to Tuesday 28^th November, 2017 at 2:00pm,” Kibirige’s letter read in part.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, her deputy Jacob Oulanyah, Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, Leader of Opposition Winfred Kiiza, Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa and Opposition Chief Whip Ssemujju Nganda were the recipients of the letter.

As had been reported, upon return from the two months recess where MPs have been ‘consulting’ voters on the Age Limit Bill, Parliament was meant to hold a debate on the ongoing doctors’ strike as well as discuss the violence that some MPs faced during the consultation process.

The doctor’s strike that has been ongoing for over a fortnight saw over 1000 doctors lay down tools, vowing not to return to work until their grievances are addressed by Government.

Despite threats from President Yoweri Museveni and Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng to fire the striking doctors, the group remained defiant, refusing to be swayed by the threats and efforts by Government to deploy the UPDF and Police doctors has  hit a dead end, as the numbers have turned out to be a drop in the ocean.

However, yesterday there was a ray of hope, as the doctors through their Uganda Medical Association (UMA) Chairman Dr. Ekwaru Obuku, signaled they would consider calling off the strike, following talks with government.

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Striking doctors will consider calling off their industrial action after registering progress in negotiations with government, the President of Uganda Medical Association (UMA) Dr. Ekwaru Obuku has said.

According to Dr. Obuku, UMA will convene a general assembly in the next forty eight hours to relay information in respect to the National Executive Committee decision that called for industrial action, which in turn paralysed health services in the country and led to the death of two patients.

“Industrial action is a function of the general assembly; we don’t have the mandate to stop it because we lack powers,” Dr. Obuku said this afternoon while appearing on a local TV station.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ebuku has distanced UMA from assertions peddled that the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) doctors deployed to work in Kiruddu and Kawempe hospitals did not have the requisite qualifications.

“Most of them are our members in the association and in no way did we say that they are of inferior quality,” he added.

Two weeks ago, doctors under their umbrella body, the Uganda Medical Association, convened a General Assembly and agreed to go on strike protesting government’s failure to increase their salaries and to improve their welfare.

And in a bid to diffuse the attendant situation, last week a team of six ministers and other senior government officials met with the UMA executive committee members to negotiate for the suspension of industrial action in vain.

Since the beginning of the industrial action medical doctors have only been offering emergency services at various government facilities to pregnant mothers and accident victims.

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