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Committee orders arrest of Amudat finance officer

By
Priscilla Alma
-
Local Govt Accounts Committee field visit.

The Amudat District Chief Finance Officer, Mr. John Luchugi Bosco, has been arrested on the orders of the Local Government Accounts Committee of Parliament for allegedly mismanaging and illegally spending billions of monies meant for works in the district.

Luchugi, who appeared before the Committee sitting in Mbarara District headquarters on September 21, 2017, was accused of taking over the entire powers of all the portfolios of the district and illegally spending the money.

He was faulted for signing, paying and sanctioning of the said money.

“This officer has taken over everything in the district. He is the Engineer, Procurement Officer and the Chairperson, and everybody here can see how he takes over answering all the queries even when his team, headed by the Chief Administrative Officer, is seated here”. Reagan Okumu said.

Okumu highlighted that most the queries were criminal in nature and for that that matter, he ordered the finance officer to make a statement on the state of affairs about the management of funds in Amudat district.

“I am asking CIID to interact with him for further investigation so that the information they will get will help the committee to have a clear image about issues of Amudat, and also give recommendations,” Okumu said.

Daniel Muheirwe expressed dissatisfaction with Mr. Luchugi and asked the Amudat Chief Administrative Officer to crack the whip and take charge of her officers.

“Amudat gets more funds and grants compared to other districts but when we asked him, as the finance officer, how much he collects in local revenue, he arrogantly said, ‘zero’. This clearly showed us that the level of abuse of funds in Amudat was extreme,” he said.

Angel Mark Dulu informed the officials that the committee had many queries with local government officials from Amudat district including the fact that they even failed to attend over three committee sittings when they were summoned to Soroti last year.

“If we take real scrutiny of all these queries, Amudat would not pass the test and we would have referred the whole team to police”. Joseph Ssekabiito said.

Mr. Edward Ssembatya expressed gratitude over the decision taken by the committee to arrest Mr. Luchugi saying that serious sanction must be taken against corrupt civil servants and that it is the only way to help government fight corruption.

“We have been penalizing people for stealing Shs2 million but this finance officer has mismanaged millions and millions of funds. This must end, and this must end today,” he said.

The committee plans to conduct a special visit to Amudat to assess the impact of abuse of funds, fraud and mismanagement of the district monies by local government officers.

The Committee has completed its meetings with all district accounting officers and is going to finalise its work after meeting the Minister and Permanent Secretary of Local Government, National Medical Stores and President Museveni. The committee will then write a report, which will be tabled on the Floor of Parliament.

 

 

 

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Gov’t inflexibility hurting opposition

By
Priscilla Alma
-
MPs on study at the National Institute for Legislative Studies in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Opposition has failed to form a formidable force to hold government accountable due to inflexibility by government.

In a communique issued at the end of a five day benchmarking workshop held in Abuja, Nigeria, Opposition MPs observed that it remained difficult to actively ensure consensus in terms of policies and issues raised by the Opposition in the House.

The MPs who attended the benchmarking workshop included the Leader of the Opposition, Winfred Kiiza (FDC, Kasese district); the Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee,. Angelline Osegge (FDC, Soroti district); Silas Aogon (Ind., Kumi Munic); Santa Alum (UPC, Oyam district); Fred Tumuheirwe (FDC, Rujumbura); the Shadow Minister for Internal Affairs, . Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi (DP, Butambala) and. Mathias Mpuuga (Masaka Munic.).

The MPs were concerned of the difficulties in meeting the expectations of the constituents’ vis-à-vis effectiveness in Parliament.

“There is need for strategic consensus building and enhanced relationship between the Opposition parties in and out of Parliament in order to form a common front,” reads part of the communiqué.

It added, “There is need to strengthen communication between Opposition MPs and their leadership for the purpose of strategic planning.”

The workshop was held at the National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS) in Abuja, Nigeria from September 18 – 22, 2017. The purpose of the workshop was to strengthen the capacities of the Opposition in Parliament in undertaking oversight of government programmes/projects and offer a better alternative to the citizens.

MPs resolved to advocate and sponsor Bills and policies to provide alternatives and ensure dividends of democracy to the people of Uganda. They also resolved to improve the relationship between the Opposition parties, the civil society organisations and the media;

It was also agreed that there was need to prioritize and streamline the message packaging to sell to Ugandans, in line with their peculiarities and yearnings; and to ensure regular and continuous capacity building programmes for Opposition MPs in order to strengthen capacities and sustain effectiveness.

Participants also said that there was need to develop alternative strategies to tackle the myriad of problems in Uganda; and to continuously build the capacity and effectiveness of the Public Accounts Committee, which has the statutory mandate to provide oversight and ensure accountability by government.

Presenting a paper on ‘Managing Effective Communication by the Opposition,’ Dr. Ahmed Rufai Alkali urged the members to be sure and discuss party matters with only those persons they trust to avoid giving out their methods or tactics to their competitors. He advised the legislators not to allow their competitors to know or even predict their actions or programmes.

 

 

 

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Kadaga commissions paper processing plant

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Speaker Kadaga is taken on tour of some of the products made at the plant.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has launched a paper pilot processing plant at the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI).

While speaking at the launch on Friday, September 22 2017, the Speaker said that she was impressed with the work and innovations the Institute had come up with over time.

“My last visit here was five years ago and I must say I’m impressed. Parliament will celebrate this by inviting you to come and talk about your work,” she said, adding that “When I looked at the banana stems, I imagined how much money we can get from making paper from all the stems in the country. It is remarkable to see the use of various organic raw materials to process paper which we as a country have in plenty.”

Kadaga said it is because of the need to spur innovations in the country that parliament made a resolution to have the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

“When I was in China, I noticed that every industry I visited had a research department. We need to inject more money and time in research in order to transform from a market-based to a producer-based nation,” she noted.

The Speaker promised to arrange an exhibition at parliament to showcase to the general population what the researchers at UIRI are doing.

“Let us support these products, let us market more of our products because they are good,” Kadaga said.

The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, was grateful to parliament for ensuring that a sectorial committee responsible for science and technology was created because it will enable such important institutions.

“We appreciate staff of UIRI for all the work done under meagre resources. There is a lot of technology transfer and research and development. We thank them for their achievements,” Tumwesigye said.

He also noted that government is committed to injecting more money into UIRI, adding that “We got Shs30billion of which Shs10 billion will come to the Institute.”

“The President has asked us to work on existing innovations and convert them into commercial successes. The private sector can take on some of these technology innovations and build on them,” Tumwesigye said.

He said that government is impressed with how UIRI is contributing to the production of products from the banana value chain.

Prof. Charles Kwesiga, the Executive Director, Uganda Industrial Research Institute, said “The Institute has piloted a number of projects and this is just one of them. We have projects in confectionary, machinery, agriculture, among others.”

He expressed his gratitude towards the government for the support it has rendered to UIRI’s projects and work.

The processing plant, which is a pilot project, uses waste paper and banana fibres from banana stems to make paper and various paper products using a handmade paper-processing machine.

 

 

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Fort Portal MP opposes age limit removal

By
Francisco Adongo
-
Fort Portal Municipality MP Alex Ruhunda

“The people of Fort Portal made it clear to me not to tamper with the Constitution by amending Article 102 (b). I will respect the people’s will,” the municipality legislator Alex Ruhunda, has said.

Ruhunda, a National Resistance Movement (NRM) MP was weighing in on the ongoing raging debate over whether to remove or maintain the 75-year age cap for the presidency, and becomes one of the first in the ruling party to openly state his position on the now thorny issue.

According to Ruhunda, the acrimonious arguments threaten to derail the gains registered by the NRM government, including among others the projected middle income status by 2020.

“I pray that we stop the overzealous of making a fundamental mistake that will create a huge political and security problem for our Country yet we were set to move out of poverty!” MP Ruhunda wrote, and appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to resist temptations by protagonists of the impending bill aimed at amending Article 102 (b).

“I have been reflecting on the future of my beloved Country Uganda the pearl of Africa especially after an emotionally heated atmosphere in Parliament on Thursday! I hope God will touch the heart of President Yoweri Museveni to avoid the temptation of listening to short term opportunistic individuals that are pushing for the removal of Age limit in our Constitution. This is the chance for NRM to plan for succession if the legacy of our beloved President Museveni is to remain like that of Mwalimu Nyerere. These were my words in the NRM caucus,” he added.

 

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My Kitgum journey, 20 years later

By
Guest Writer
-
Mr Emmy Allio

By Emmy Allio

On September 16, 2017 I travelled from Kampala to Kitgum to join a richly mixed assembly of friends and relatives of Brig. Fred Tolit whose daughter Priscilla was marrying an African American called Gregory. That traditional marriage spoke volumes about the rich Acholi culture their energetic dancing strokes 🍇their delicious meals and their hospitality.

Alas, there was also this bravado that Tolit is from Acholi warrior clan! Instead of this warrior talk intimidating him, the bridegroom matched the occasion by dressing like another warrior!

This was my first time in Kitgum in 20 years. The Kitgum I left 20 years ago is now buried in painful and bitter memories. But the scars are all over

Until 1999, I had spent many years in the north as a journalist. Working in the north prepared my destiny because I learnt to see and feel pain.

I had always cherished the idea of preserving my memory of the north of two decades ago in anticipation to write a book. Also my notebooks of the time are preserved for the same reason. It has been my desire to sit and write the story of the Acholi people and how they endured pains of savagery brutal pseudo war between Sudan and Uganda. My hope has been to give the minute details of the killings, the plunder and tribulations of Acholi families destroyed by their own children abducted and forced to kill by a brutal psychopath called Joseph Kony whose Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) was a tool by Khartoum to keep the Ugandan army too busy to help the Sudan People’s Liberation Army.

In later years, I have developed the mind that the narrative should touch on the role of Uganda in liberating the South Sudanese from the york of Arab Rule. And, maybe also explain the current predicament of how the Salva Kiir government has mismanaged the liberated Republic of South Sudan. Today, almost four million South Sudanese population have fled to exile escaping the plunder and savagery of their own army (SPLA). Another one million are displaced within the country where the presence of a government is only in the capital Juba.

The question I want to pose is: did Uganda send its soldiers to die for a vain cause! Indeed, the Juba regime has made the Arab north better devils!

Back to my journey to Kitgum town…..the rusty, dusty small town of Kitgum appears to be waking up from a long sleep. The travel from Karuma to Gulu and Kitgum on the beautiful tarmac road is a dream for a person who left the north 20 years ago. I remembered the late Justine Moro, the New Vision correspondent who braved the volatile situation to inform the world about Kitgum. The road from Karuma snaked through villages, swamps and trading centers once associated with stories of abductions, grass thatched houses being torched, killings and hunger.

I remembered my stories of those days that praised the National Resistance Army (NRA), now the UPDF, which used to fight an elusive enemy whose main target was not military targets but the civilians.

My host in Kitgum, Brig Fred Tolit paid dearly for supporting the National Resistance Army. Tolit’s father Yovan Ociti, his uncle and two nephews died a brutal death. They story being told is that Ociti and the three were tired with ropes to a cows that were beaten as they dragged the four along village paths until their flesh was “eaten” off by stones and soul. Their cries did not save them and they bled to death. Many Acholi had their ears, lips and legs cut off as LRA tried to teach the Acholi to turn away from the NRM/A.

But there is a lesson to learn from that bad experience. Where there is hope and faith, everything negative can change for the better.

The Acholi region has the tools and the capital to grow and become the richest region in the country. The region is blessed with huge tracts of fertile virgin land trans-crossed by many rivers. The region has a rich crop of educated people, many living in foreign capitals. Government has invested heavily in tarmacking of the roads, building schools and health facilities. With abundant peace and security in Acholi land, what remains is a new breed of sound development-minded leadership. A leadership that must drill and grill success stories and turn the expanse idle lands into huge commercial mechanized agriculture that will attract processing industries to the region. This is the best way the Acholi can redeem themselves out of the current poverty. The educated should lead by example and desist from the old ways of feeding the population on politics of rejection or opposing the government for the sake of opposing. Time and tide wait for no man!

In my view, with the right political leadership, hopefully Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) can be a partner in developing the Acholi region.

 Emmy Allio, a longtime New Vision war correspondent but now Director Investments, Operation Wealth Creation, Office of the President.

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Uganda performs poorly in Africa Investment Index

By
George Mangula
-
UIA ED, Jolly Kaguhangire .

Despite efforts by government to position Uganda as the best destination for direct foreign investment in Africa, the country could only come in 12th position during the year 2016, a survey by an Africa-based economic research institute says.

The report shows Botswana, Morocco and Egypt as Africa’s best nations for foreign direct investment (FDI). Botswana, its economy driven by its diamond mines, tops the list because of its stable democracy, improved credit rating, current account ratio, import reserves and ranking in the World Bank’s ease-of-doing-business index, according to the Africa Investment Index 2016.

The Index was created by the Quantum Global Research Lab, the independent research arm of investment firm Quantum Global Group. The Quantum Global Research Lab focuses exclusively on the African investment environment. The Index covers all 54 African nations.

The Index is designed to help guide investors in Africa about which countries and markets are most attractive for investment in the short- to medium-term. The Index is based on six factors: growth, liquidity, risk, business environment, demographics and social capital. Uganda performed badly as it had an average score of 19.462 for all the indicators.

Rounding out the top 10 behind Botswana, Morocco and Egypt as the best African destinations for FDI are South Africa, Zambia, Cote d’Ivoire, Algeria, Tanzania, Namibia and Burkina Faso.

“Many of the African nations are demonstrating an increased willingness to achieve sustainable growth by diversifying their economies and introducing favorable policies to attract inward investments,” said Professor Mthuli Ncube, Head of Quantum Global Research.

The top five nations in the Index attracted an overall FDI of US$13.6 billion in 2016.

“A new generation of African leaders is acknowledging the necessary link between democratic reforms and foreign investment that will spur much-needed economic development. As such, Africa is enjoying more free and fair elections and peaceful transfers of power than in the past, when ethnic and tribal violence regularly marred elections,” notes the report.

Two North African nations – Morocco and Egypt – followed Botswana in the Index, a sign of their resiliency and potential as they bounce back from political and economic turmoil.

Morocco was ranked second on the Index based on its solid economic growth, strategic geographic positioning, increased foreign direct investment, import reserve ratio and an overall favorable business environment. Foreign investment in Morocco rose 24 percent in May of this year compared to May 2016.

Egypt was ranked third due to an increased foreign direct investment and real interest rates, and a growing urban population. Foreign appetite for Egyptian debt has skyrocketed by nearly nine times this year compared to the previous fiscal year.

South Africa was ranked fourth on the growth factor of GDP, ease of doing business in the country and its significant population. South Africa remains the continent’s biggest recipient of foreign investment.

Zambia was ranked fifth due to its significant domestic investment and access to money supply. Foreign investment in Zambia in the first quarter of this year was up US$505 million compared to a rise of $218 million in the first quarter of 2016.

Some African nations showed substantial improvement compared to previous surveys. Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Swaziland and Tanzania are the current survey’s biggest climbers. Burkina Faso, which cracked the Top 10 for the first time this year, increased its position 13 spots compared to its average ranking over the past three years.

The Index also ranked the 10 worst African destinations for FDI. From worst to best, they are Somalia, Eritrea, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Malawi, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia and Madagascar.

“With a population of over USA$1 billion people and a rapidly growing middle class, Africa clearly offers significant opportunities to invest in the continent’s non-commodities sectors such as financial services, construction and manufacturing amongst others,” Mthuli , adding that structural reforms and greater private sector involvement are crucial to unlocking Africa’s true potential.”

Click here to read full report

Africa Investment_Index

 

 

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UN report says Uganda needs external support for food

By
George Mangula
-
A maize garden infested by army worms. Uganda food security security has reduced due to such calamities.

Uganda is among 28 African countries that require external assistance for food, according to the latest quarterly Crop Prospects and Food Situation report released by the United Nations Food and Agricultural organization (FAO).

The report attributes Uganda’s situation to the current refugee influx as well the bad climatic conditions that hit the country in the recent past, worsened by the invasion of the Fall Armyworm on the farms. FAO is calling for a combined African response to fight the worm.

According to the report other countries that need the assistance  include, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea,  and Kenya. Others are; Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique,  Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

The report says conflict continues to intensely impact agriculture and food security in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan often have further effects – due to displaced persons and increased civil insecurity – elsewhere. Weather shocks in 2017, including droughts, have also compounded the impacts in some countries like Somalia and southern Ethiopia.

Elsewhere it says:  “While this is due to major gains in Argentina and Brazil, also of note is the expected rise in aggregate output in Africa by more than 10 percent this year, led by increasing maize harvests in Southern Africa, where farmers were hit hard last year by the El Nino weather phenomenon, and wheat output in North African countries,” the report says.

Aggregate cereal production in Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) is also expected to rise by 2.2 per cent this year, curbing import needs, according to FAO’s new estimates.

The report says global cereal production is forecast to reach a record level in 2017, pegged at 2 611 million tonnes.

 

 

 

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Farming and rural non-farm activities can provide solutions to rising youth unemployment in Africa

By
Agencies
-
African youth in his cabbage garden.

Farming and rural non-farm-based activities still have untapped potential to generate employment opportunities for Africa’s rising youth population, FAO stressed today at a high level forum “Harnessing Skills for Rural Transformation and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”, held at the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.

Africa has the youngest population and the fastest growing population in the world, predicted to double by 2050. This has a major impact on the employment market.

Although ten to 12 million young people join the labor force in Africa each year, only around three million jobs are created annually.

In this context, the agricultural sector as well as rural non-farm activities in tourism, agro-industries, food storage and transportation have high potential to create more and better jobs, and build stronger rural communities.

“Investing in rural transformation and reaching a world free of hunger and malnutrition go hand in hand. Promoting better education, skills development and decent employment is vital for this transformation in Africa,” said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, who is part of a group of world leaders at the high level forum, sharing experiences and best practice in creating and expanding employment and economic opportunities for Africa’s youth.

FAO carries out 32 youth employment projects in 20 African countries. It supports countries and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to enhance their youth policies, strategies and plans, and social protection measures.

It trains vulnerable rural youth not only in agricultural techniques but also provides them with business and life skills so that they can become more productive and active members of their communities.

“But more coordinated and systematic efforts are still needed to increase impact and expand regional and country-level action in Africa,” said Graziano da Silva.

“Adopting a territorial approach that focuses on strengthening the physical, economic, social and political links between small urban centers and their surrounding rural areas is equally vital. Let’s not forget that the small and medium-sized cities are the places where farmers buy seeds, send their children to school, and turn to medical care,” added Graziano da Silva.

Youth, in turn, can play a significant role in advancing their countries’ progress towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, and can act as innovators and networkers between rural and urban areas.

FAO recently launched a Special Programme to promote youth employment through enabling agriculture and agri-business jobs in Africa. The programme is another example of FAO’s long-lasting collaboration with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) – an economic development program of the African Union – and of FAO’s efforts to strengthen partnerships.

 

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MTN digital innovation awards back for grabs

By
George Mangula
-
Olivier Prentout – Chief Marketing Officer - MTN Uganda.

MTN Uganda 2017 awards that recognize Ugandans who excel in digital innovation in the country are back on a high with each award winner assured to take home of US$3,000, says Olivier Prentout, the company’s Chief Marketing Officer.

During the awards, MTN will recognize both mobile and web-based applications developed by Ugandans. There are at least seven (7) categories to pick from. And among others they include; innovations in finance, agriculture and health. MTN Uganda’s commitment is to scale up sectors critical to the improvement of lives and communities through digital innovations, Prentout says.

Olivier Prentout says that recognizing and promoting local innovations is critical to the company’s vision to lead the “delivery of a bold, new digital world for MTN customers and the communities where we operate.”

“Technology is becoming an enabler in almost every sector of Uganda’s economy. In health, technology is leading to solutions on prevention. In education, people are coming up with ideas to ease the learning process. In financial services, technology is improving financial inclusion,” he says.

This is the second edition of the MTN Innovation Awards. The first awards were held in 2015, with eight projects being awarded for their outstanding contribution to society.

“The contribution to society is measured by impact especially in the long-term. Additionally, we are looking at positioning Uganda as having the innovation space and skilled individuals that can compete on the global stage,” Prentout adds.

The categories to apply for include: Best Health application, Best Education application, Best Financial Services application, Best SME application, Best Agriculture application, and Best Media and Entertainment application. The entries have to be made online.

The entry submissions will close on 6th October 2017. The awards place emphasis on applications that have been in operation since 2014. MTN will also recognize the outstanding woman in innovation, innovation achiever of the year and most innovative mobile app. The winners will be recognized at an Awards Gala to be held on November 8, 2017.

MTN Uganda has also increased the prize money from US$1,000 given to each category winner in 2015 to US$3,000.

In 2015, the winners included, ClinicMaster, BrainShare, Yo! Payments Gateway, Intelligent Works, Outbox, Fezah, Lyndsay Handler of ReadyPay – Outstanding Woman in Innovation and Solomon King of FundiBots – Innovation achiever of the year.

Facts about the awards:

  1. 1. Best Health Application– This award seeks to recognise applications that aim to extend reach, accessibility and efficiency in delivering health services.
  2. Best Education Application– The award seeks to recognize applications that are transforming the Experience and Reach of education to ordinary Ugandans.
  3. Best Financial Services Application– This award seeks to recognize applications that are enabling any financial inclusion.
  4. Best SME Application– This award seeks to recognize applications that aim to address productivity improvement in the SME sector.

5. Best Agriculture Application – The award seek

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Uganda pioneers new conservation investment

By
George Mangula
-
Giraffes in Kidepo Valley National Park.

President Museveni will on October 6, 2017 host the first Giants Club Conservation and Tourism Investment Forum in Kampala to showcase a series of opportunities for new conservation-compatible enterprises in both established and under-developed wilderness areas, a press release from Giants Club Uganda says. The one-day high level forum will take place at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa.

During the forum, global businesses with focus on responsible tourism and conservation will be offered a unique chance to invest in Uganda’s unparalleled natural landscapes while bringing greater benefits to its citizens.

New tourism concessions are available in well-known locations like Queen Elizabeth and
Murchison Falls National Parks, as well as lesser-visited ones like Kibaale, with its
chimpanzees, or Kidepo Valley, on Uganda’s northern border.
All conservation-compatible business proposals will be considered, but it is expected the
majority will be new high-end or eco-tourism lodges whose developers pass strict Ugandan
government guidelines overseen by conservation specialists.

Central to those stipulations are that successful bidders will sustainably protect the natural
areas where they invest, and bring significant economic benefits to their local communities,
and to Uganda as a whole.

Other protected areas, including Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and Budongo Forest
Reserve, that need infrastructure or development to realise their enormous potential will be
offered as co-management opportunities, where Public Private Partnerships will attract
new international finance.
Many concession areas will not have been available for new investors for more than 30
years. What is also new is a conservation investment delivery unit supported by the Office
of the President and housed at the Uganda Investment Authority, where interested
businesses will find streamlined and centralised bureaucracy to speed their applications.

At the same time, significant incentives will be outlined at the Forum to illustrate the
Government’s commitment to welcoming the most responsible partners to take advantage
of this rare opportunity.

Uganda is one of Africa’s last great undiscovered destinations for today’s modern traveller
looking for a more adventurous tourism experience than that traditionally offered in the
regional market.

The country lies at the intersection of East Africa’s savannahs and Central Africa’s
rainforests. It hosts the Big Five, but also the world’s greatest variety and density of wild
primates and some of the most varied bird life. The River Nile flows from its Lake Victoria
shores, and Equatorial glaciers top its western mountains.

The Ugandan Government faces severe difficulties adequately funding the maintenance of
its protected natural areas among competing social and economic priorities.

In that climate, it is imperative that businesses that come to these pristine landscapes
should be chosen not because they bring the most immediate short-term financial gain at
potentially great ecological cost, but because they can prove they will maintain their
investment sustainably and responsibly over the long term.

Among those expected to attend are tourism operators, commercial and impact investors,
philanthropic and conservation organisations, development finance institutions, high net
worth individuals, and sector specialists and journalists.

President Museveni called for ideas of how to increase public-private partnerships to fund
Uganda’s conservation when he attended the Giants Club Summit in Kenya in 2016. The
Forum is the answer to that request.

The Giants Club, of which President Museveni is one of four founding Presidents, gathers
African heads of state, global financiers, scientists, and influential individuals, to help
achieve its mission to protect half of Africa’s elephants by 2020.

The forum is sponsored by the government of Uganda alongside African Wildlife Foundation, Space for Giants, UNDP.

 

 

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