Rédaction Africa Links 24 with ESTHER OLUKA,Busein Samilu
Published on 2024-01-29 07:30:00
Uganda hosted the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the G77+ China summits, which placed a lot of pressure on the government to ensure they were successful. In preparation for these events, the government realized that existing facilities in the country were not up to standard. This led to the decision to build a state-of-the-art convention center to host the visitors.
To meet the looming deadline, the government partnered with businessman Sudhir Ruparelia to construct a convention centre valued at Shs147 billion. The Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) signed joint venture and shareholder agreements with Mr Ruparelia to build the facility in August 2022. The 3,800-seater convention center at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort was completed in time for the summits.
The convention center features 12 high-end conference rooms, some of which were utilized during breakaway sessions at the summits. It exudes sophistication with its lights, tiles, and carpets, giving off the distinct aroma of newness. The location also offers a breathtaking view of Lake Victoria, providing visitors with opportunities to take in the scenery and capture memorable moments.
Now that the summits are over, the convention center will continue to be utilized for other local and international conferences, especially those that attract large numbers of attendees. In the region, the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda serves as a similar facility, offering a 5-star hotel, a conference center with a capacity of 2,600 seats, an IT office park, and a museum. The facility is owned and developed by a Rwandan company called Ultimate Concepts Limited, with multiple stakeholders, including the government through Prime Holdings, Rwanda Social Security Board, and Rwanda Investment Group.
