Kampala, 30/10/2007
 
UGANDA TO ISSUE SHILLINGS 10,000 CURRENCY NOTE TO COMMEMORATE CHOGM SUMMIT NEXT MONTH

Leo Odera Omolo
 
The forthcoming visit to Uganda by the Queen Elizabeth II of England is being awaited like the heaven coming down on the earth.
 
Some few surviving Ugandan elderly people still remember vividly well the little slender beautiful young soft spoken Queen Elizabeth II who last visited Uganda in 1954 only one year after her colorful coronation which they celebrated in the country while Uganda was still a protectorate colony of the British Empire.
 
The Queen had come to Uganda to commission the Owen Fall hydropower station built at the tip of River Nile’s source near Jinja town about 50 miles east of the capital city,Kampala
 
These elderly men and women sang and danced for the young Queen whose accession to the British throne had come about two years earlier in 1952 following the sudden and untimely death of her father King George the VI. Accidentally the King had died in his sleep while the young Princes Elizabeth was on a honeymoon visit in the neighbouring Kenya in the company of the young husband, the duke of Edenbrough Prince Philips.
 
To commemorate the visit of the Queen of England to Uganda next month to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) Summit, the Ushs 10,000 will be launched on November 19 by the Bank of Uganda (BoU)
 
This was confirmed by the Bou Director of Public Relations Mr.Juma Walusimbi who last weekend disclosed that the commemoration currency note will go into circulation ahead of the highly publicized (CHOGM) meeting.
 
The Daily MONITOR newspaper quoted Mr Walusimbi today, as having said that the publicity for the new currency notes security features will be released on the first week of November to enable the public get acquisition with it “people should not be hoodwinked about the CHOGM note”
 
“We are giving out the looks and the features , publicize it and people should not give room for anybody who may try to counterfeit it. ’Mr Walusimbi said
 
In 1969 the bank issued a gold coin to mark the visit of Pope Paul VI to Uganda the first time a pope visited Africa.
 
Another fine silver commemorative coin with a face value of Ushs 20,000 was also issued to mark the Bank’s 40m anniversary last year.
 
Other features of the CHOGM summit is that Zzimwe Construction Company has finally started repairing the 2.7km road stretch to the Speke Hotel Munyonyo Resort, which is the venue for the CHOGM meeting in November.
 
Mr.Andrew Kasagga, was quoted by the MONITOR as saying that the works that commenced on October 19 would entail filling potholes constructing paved sidewalks and erecting roadside flowerbeds to beautify the place. The paper quoted the Chairman of the construction company board of directors extensively.
 
“We are going to work tirelessly both day and night to produce quality work and want to make sure we complete it in time “ Mr.Zizimwe said.
 
CHOGM bi -annual convention that brings together the 53 heads of Governments in the former Bristish colonies and protectorates and the Uganda government as this year’s host has selected Munyonyo as the main centre for the meeting. But until October 19 the access road to the site had been very rough due to poor maintenance.
 
The road works site engineers Mr.Huruna Mukiibi said they were focusing on quality control to build a lasting road infrastructure that would not easily crumble into potholes as is the case with other newly made roads.
 
He severely criticized those whom he describes as “some ill-informed government officials for routinely condemning the road maintainace work done by Zizimwe Construction Company.” Let the Ministry of works call us for advice in the case of any mistakes.” He said adding “our construction sometimes change the designs of the road (for technical and considerations)
 
Other features of the CHOGM summit are that the business community in Uganda has been challenged to embrace the forthcoming commonwealth Heads of Government meetings as an opportunity for growth.
 
The Ugandan Minister of Sate for Investment Prof Ssemakula Kiwanuka while officially launching the new offices logo website and corporate plan of Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) at Twol Plaza on Luumba Avenue in Nakasero last week said “I want to assure you that Uganda is indeed ready for CHOGM. But business community are to embrace the occasion as yet another opportunity”
 
As one of the CHOGM activities Uganda will host a three-day commonwealth Business Forum starting November 20-23 at the Kampala Sheraton Hotel, which is scheduled, to attract over 700 invited guest s.
 
The successful partnerships during CHOGM will not only attract new foreign direct investment but also strengthen the existing ones a thing, which will create jobs for Ugandans.
 
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com