NAM summit: Govt approves Shs26b supplementary budget

Cabinet has approved additional funding to the organising committee of the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement to be held in Kampala early next year.

Ms Lucy Nakyobe, the summit chief organiser, who is also the Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, yesterday affirmed the government’s readiness to host the summit in January 2024 and put total government expenditure at Shs66 billion for all the preparations.  

Uganda will host the 19th Non-Aligned Movement Summit (NAM) slated for January 15 to 23, 2024 at Speke Resort Munyonyo, and the third South Summit which will run from January 21 to 24, 2024 at the same venue.
Daily Monitor understands that the construction works at Munyonyo Convention Centre had slowed down because the organising committee had run out of funds. This prompted Ms Nakyobe’s team to seek a Shs26b supplementary, which the Cabinet approved recently.

Speaking at the media launch of the two summits yesterday, Ms Nakyobe confirmed the supplementary request and revealed that the Finance ministry had already released Shs40b for the NAM preparations. 
“We are ready for the NAM summit,” Ms Nakyobe announced, adding that the construction of a Multipurpose Convention Centre at the Speke Resort Munyonyo, whose construction works commenced about eight months ago, was on course and will be ready in time.

“We have inspected the facilities at Munyonyo and the progress of the construction works is estimated at 85 percent,” she said.
“The Shs40b was released and allocated to the various ministries. And additional Shs26b has also been requested and will come as a supplementary budget to finance more activities. This is yet to be approved,” she added.

About 120 countries are expected to attend the NAM summit while 134 countries with all attend the South Summit.
Ms Nakyobe explained that the road repairs and maintenance works on key city roads was in progress while “all the hotels that will accommodate guests have already been inspected”.

“No new vehicle will be procured for purposes of the NAM summit…The government has already mobilised vehicles that will transport guests,” Ms Nakyobe said.
She, however, revealed that the Peoples Republic of China donated about 140 vehicles to transport the guests during the summit.  The endorsement of Uganda to host the two summits presents an opportunities for trade and tourism. 
Mr John Mulimba, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, told journalists that travel advisories issued by some diplomatic missions should be shunned.

“The country is secure. Listen to advisories from government which is in charge of the country’s security,’’ he said.
Ms Dorothy Kisaka, the executive director of Kampala Capital City Authority, confirmed that road maintenance was taking shape.