Lucy Nakyobe, the head of Public Service, conducted an inspection to assess the readiness of the new Munyonyo Convention Centre, which is slated to host the 19th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Heads of State and Government from January 15-20, 2024. Serving as the CEO of the organizing committee, Nakyobe ensured preparations were on track for the NAM forum, comprising 120 member states.
During the inspection, Nakyobe briefed government officials on December 28, 2023, including Charles Sentongo (Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Dr. Amina Zawedde (Permanent Secretary, ICT and National Guidance Ministry), and Joseph Musanyufu (Permanent Secretary, Internal Affairs Ministry). Sudhir Ruparelia, the proprietor of Munyonyo Commonwealth Convention Centre, was also present.
The government allocated sh85.4b for constructing the convention centre at Speke Resort Munyonyo, entering a joint venture with Meera Investments Ltd for its operation. Joint venture agreements were signed, and a board of directors constituted for the joint venture company, Speke Resort Convention Centre Uganda Ltd.
Nakyobe’s inspections extended to other facilities hosting NAM summit guests, including Entebbe International Airport, Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE), and Speke Resort Munyonyo. Advance teams were tasked with inspecting accommodation options and reserving rooms for delegations. Accreditation badges printing will occur after receiving official delegation lists.
All NAM member states, represented at the United Nations, received log-in credentials for registration portals, with gratis visas granted to official delegation members through diplomatic channels. No COVID-19 testing will be conducted during the NAM summit.
Following the NAM summit, the Group of 77 China Summit will take place at Speke Resort Munyonyo from January 21-22, 2024. The summit, organized under the G77 and China framework, facilitates diplomatic discussions and collaboration among member nations on economic growth, trade, technology transfer, and development.
