Delegates who are attending the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in Uganda were last night hosted to a cultural gala at the famed Ndere Cultural Center where traditional dances and cuisines took center stage.
Ahead of the conference closure, the delegates enjoyed a range of traditional performances from the various regions of the country before a dinner that included a good number of Ugandan delicacies such as “eshabwe” (ghee sauce), “mugoyo” (a mash of sweet potatoes and beans), “kalo” (millet bread) among others.
Traditional dances from Ankole, Karamoja, Buganda, West Nile and Lango were performed, drawing in cheering from the excited audience.
Led by the Speaker of Parliament Hon. Anita Among who was accompanied by her husband Hon. Moses Magogo, the delegates were welcomed the typical Ugandan way – drumming, singing, dancing and of course, the Ankole millet porridge known as “Entachweka”, served in calabashes with bamboo straws to the aid.
Other officials in attendance included but not limited to the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon Thomas Tayebwa, the State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Hon. Martin Mugarra Bahinduka who stated in a post on X that the cultural gala was aimed at giving the delegates a feel of Uganda’s richly diversified culture.
The Minister also noted that hosting the conference is a plus for Uganda’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE industry).
“Uganda is ranked the sixth best country in hosting meetings, conferences and events in Africa. Our hosting of this conference speaks to our growth in the MICE industry, a major component of tourism. With other such events lined up for example; the upcoming NAM Summit, Uganda’s MICE industry is on an upward trajectory,” Hon. Mugarra’s X post reads in part.
The conference, running from 03 to 06 January 2024 was officially opened by President Yoweri Museveni who urged the Speakers and Presiding Officers to take advantage of the common language among the commonwealth to exploit the advancement of all partner states.
Speakers and Presiding Officers attended the conference from many jurisdictions including: Barbados; Botswana; Cameroon; Dominica; Eswatini; Ghana; Grenada; Guyana; India; Kenya; Lesotho; Malaysia; Maldives; Mauritius; Mozambique; Namibia; Nigeria; Pakistan; Rwanda; Samoa; Singapore; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Tanzania; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Uganda; and Zambia.
While addressing the delegates earlier in the day, Among spoke of the hospitality of the Ugandan people, the country’s natural endowments and called on the visitors to tour around before heading back home.
She noted that the delegates’ visit to Uganda’s tourist sites will improve the country’s image internationally.
“The people of Uganda are incredibly warm and hospitable, our national parks are well gifted with various aspects of fauna and flora most of which are unique to Uganda. The iconic water falls on the River Nile are a must see before you leave,” said Among.
Established in 1969, the CSPOC operates on a bi-annual basis, where Speakers and Presiding Officers of the national parliaments of the independent sovereign states of the Commonwealth converge to understand the various forms of parliamentary diplomacy.
The main theme of the CSPOC is to foster and encourage fairness on the part of speakers and presiding officers of the Commonwealth.