Government has allocated 15 acres of land in Entebbe to India to construct the Mahatma Gandhi Convention and Conference Centre.
The promise to allocate land for the Centre was made by Government in 2018 during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Uganda.
Today Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri V. Muraleedharan is in Uganda on a two day working visit to follow up on the matter.
Muraleedharan this Thursday afternoon held talks with Uganda Government officials led by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Okello Oryem at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Kampala.
The meeting was also attended by State Minister for Finance, Henry Musasizi, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Doreen Katusiime, Uganda High Commissioner to India, Head of Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Alfred Nnam among other Government officials.
Speaking to reporters after the closed door meeting, Minister Oryem revealed that Government had at last fulfilled its promise.
“During the visit of Indian Prime Minister in 2018, India promised that it would build Mahatma Gandhi Convention and Conference Centre for Uganda. So, we have given 15 acres of land in Entebbe, and India is going to build this Convention and Conference Centre for Uganda,” Oryem said.
He added that Government has also allocated 5 acres of land in Jinja to India to build the “Indian Centre for Culture and Traditions.”
“Land has been found for India in Jinja, and that will also be built.”
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India’s independence from British rule and in turn to inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.
Speaking before the closed door meeting, Minister Oryem hailed Indian Government for providing Uganda with COVID-19 vaccines at the time when other world powers were hoarding their vaccines due to global shortage.
“India risked and shared vaccines with Uganda. This was at the peak of the pandemic. This is the level of relationship between Uganda and India,” said Oryem.
Oryem also applauded Indians, saying that the core of Uganda’s trade and commerce was built by Indians.
“Indians built railway from Mombasa (Kenya) to Uganda. When the railway was completed, many Indians chose not to go back. They became a link between India and Africa. Unfortunately, Idi Amin in 70s (1970s) mistakenly chased Indians, and this became a loss to Uganda,” he said.
Oryem, added that President Museveni revived the relationship between the two countries, and stated that today, Uganda has a “very strong, firm and strategic relationship with India.”
On his part, Mr Muraleedharan described Uganda’s relationship with India as “historical, warm and friendly.”
This, he said was further strengthened by Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi when he visited Uganda in 2018, and his phonecall with President Museveni at the peak of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when he promised India’s support to Uganda in fighting COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) said the pandemic does not recognize boarders. It has to be dealt with globally,” Muraleedharan said.
He added that the pandemic poses not only health challenges, but also economic ramifications.
He further said that India has always supported Uganda in economic growth and development, building capacity of Ugandans, and allowing and enabling access to Indian market.
Mr Muraleedharan will later meet President Museveni at State House.
