At least five Heads of State on Saturday arrived in Uganda for 60th independence anniversary celebrations scheduled for tomorrow Sunday October 9 at Kololo Independence Grounds.
The leaders, all from Africa, include William Samoei Ruto from Kenya. He was received at Entebbe International Airport by Hon Henry Okello Oryem, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Ruto, who was accompanied by Kenya’s First Lady, Rachel Ruto, later held talks with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at State House Entebbe.
After the meeting, President Ruto used his official Twitter handle to say that, “The Kenya – Uganda bond is growing stronger.”
His Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni said the discussion was fruitful and that it centered on matters of mutual interest to the two nations and the people.
Burundi’s President, General Évariste Ndayishimiye, is the other leader already in the country. He was received at Entebbe International Airport by Jacob Marksons Oboth, Uganda’s Minister of State for Defence.
Others are Hassan Shiekh Mohamud of Somalia, Salva Kiir of South Sudan and Hussein Ali Mwinyi of Zanzibar.
Their host, President Yoweri Museveni, is currently hosting them and other foreign visitors for a State dinner at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort.
The 60th Independence Day will be celebrated under the theme; October 9: A declaration of African interdependence and our shared destination.
The day’s activities shall include military fly-past and acrobatic dropdown of the UPDF commandos while awarding of medals was scrapped off the agenda on President Museveni’s order.
“There will be a number of activities including a parade mounted by various security departments. The function will be short and the President advised us to postpone the awarding of medals to next year’s function,” Gen Jim Muhwezi, the Minister of Security, said last week.
He said the diamond anniversary is a celebration of Uganda’s achievements that include economic growth, peace and security which have been observed for the last four decades under the NRM government.
“Uganda’s GDP per capita has increased and now stands at $1,046 (Shs3.7m) per person per year and real economic growth has been averaging at 6.1 percent since 1986. We cannot forget peace and security of Uganda and the whole Africa.
Uganda has not sat back when some African countries lacked peace. Together with other African countries, we put our boots on the ground in South Sudan, Somalia and other countries to ensure stability,” the minister remarked.
Muhwezi refuted allegations that at 60 years of Independence, there is gross abuse of human rights associated with unwarranted abductions of citizens, especially those on the Opposition.
He, however, promised to present the matter of abductions before the security council which is yet to sit this week.