Opinion: Thank you Amb Zaake Kibedi, with Dubai 2020 expo commercial diplomacy starts to yield fruit

Fellow Ugandans, after having seen the outrage that has pre-occupied most of the fora on the social media, I think it is just appropriate for us to raise up and give salutations and commendation to our Ambassador HE, Hon. Zaake Kibedi who has worked so tirelessly amidst all challenges to ensure that Uganda finally attended the Dubai Expo.

It is even more commendable for Ambassador Zaake to have worked around all the challenges to enable and managed to get His Excellence, the President to travel to Dubai and grace the Uganda's National Day at the expo. This is no mean feat at all. We commend and congratulate you Ambassador Zaake.

You indeed did your part excellently well.

We are now getting the interesting news that a number deals were signed already and that the country should be expecting a big delegation from the UAE in the very near future.

What happened within the planning by the chosen lead Government agency for this expo isn't your call.

But again, Ugandans shouldn't forget that even when Ambassador Zaake was serving in Denmark and having jurisdiction over the Nordic countries, he too did a tremendous job of selling Uganda to that part of the world.

In his second year in the mission, he organised a Uganda trade, tourism and investment promotion symposium in Denmark. I was privileged to attend and many private sector players did attend.

Further, he did organise a trade and investment delegation to Uganda in which a number of Memorandum of Understand were entered into. Now whether there has been any fruitation of those MoUs, it will be for another analysis.

So our brother has continued to do what is exactly expected of him as a coutry's ambassador. He has done well to execute his task in commercial diplomasy.

Thank you HE. Zaake Kibedi.