The first lady of Uganda is not sleeping back on the fight to attract investments to her country. She is mostly known here for her role in charity, women/orphans organizations, church attending and recently on a surprising note, she ventured into politics, were she now represents her native home district in parliament.

Now she is taking her plight for this nation further by helping her husband, his excellence Museveni,on the battle of attracting foreign investors to Uganda. On officiating of an Arab women organization here last week, she stressed the need to invest in Uganda because of her many resources, good investment protection and incentives, not forgetting the stability in security created by this government led by her husband.

Investment opportunities between Arab countries and Uganda continue to grow everyday, adding to the already existing portfolio of Arab-owned businesses in the country.

Last week, an Arab women’s organization representing 16 Arab countries signed a trade and investment memorandum of understanding with Uganda and pledged to invest in Uganda, in areas of oil refinery, cement production,construction,pharmaceuticals,ornament plants and agro-processing among others.
“We are serious women investors owning projects, worth $240 million (sh 420billion).We want to extend Afro-Arab trade cooperation and Uganda is one of the countries we are interested in”Dr Hoda Galal Yassa, president of the Arab Women Investors Union(AWIU),an umbrella organization under which the women are represented.” Our union is an economic organization consisting of selected professional business women, wives of presidents and princesses of kingdoms who are seeking to establish an active Arab configuration of Arab women investors in order to reshape the economic role of Arab women in the region and else where,” she said.

The countries represented include Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Libya, Isreal, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia among others. This investment interest from the Arab region adds to the already existing huge investments here which are employing hundreds of Ugandans. These include, arid Telecom, Hits telecom, Cairo bank, Kingdom holdings, Arab contructors, celtel Uganda, among the many.

The Uganda investment boss, lady Maggie Kigozi,and the Uganda Export Promotion Board Executive Director, madam Florence Kata signed the agreement on behalf of the Ugandan government at a function witnessed by the first lady of the land. Madam Janet Museveni.
“I applaud all Uganda women who have worked tirelessly and changed the quality of life and contribution to the economic development of Uganda. This is something that has changed the notion that business was meant for men alone”Mrs Museveni said.

On a lighter not she cautioned the Ugandan women to be faithful and honest to the commitment they made to the Union of the women organization from the region.

Chris in kampala