By our reporter
On 5 July, a total of 15 heads of the different Indian community associations on wrote to the Indian High Commissioner to Uganda Ravi Shankar , protesting the manner in which the High Commissioner elected the 10-man committee to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Uganda. They said the committee is not well representating all the community associations. But following a meeting on Wednesday July 11, Shankar agreed to co-opt some members of the associations to organizing committee.
Now the visit is again hit by another setback after residents of Kololo posh area, through their lawyers; Kamulegeya,Kamahoro Advocates and another law firm, Kisaalu Advocates petitioned the ministry of foreign affairs and the Indian High Commissioner in Uganda protesting Kololo Airstrip as the venue for hosting one of the most influential political figures on earth.
“We the under signed here in of C/O Kisaalo and company Advocates, being persons intimately interested in the timely visit of the Hon.prime minister of India to Uganda, do here by forward our compliments and duly submit our petition/complaint in respect of the above matter as follows; That the selected venue is wanting in facility terms of toilets, kitchen materials and great inconvenience from the neighborhood all that is likely to affect the health of our beloved Prime minister,” petition reads in part.
Petitioners also claim that hosting the visiting Prime Minister at the airstrip during working hours will inconvenience other businesses and residents of the area.
On his part, counsel Rogers Kamulegeya says Kololo airstrip does not fit the profile of a visiting head of state.
“It is a known fact that the Indian Prime Minister intends to visit Uganda in the near future and the proposed hosting venue for the said event will be at Kololo airstrip. However, it is our major complaint that the place is too open and lacks quality facilities such as toilets and kitchen facilities to host the coming dignitary,” his petition reads in part.
The petitioners also accuse the organizers of lack of transparency of the monies so far collected.
“The organizers of the event have not exhibited any transparency and honesty but only intended to benefit a few people at the expense of the common good of the entire Indian community in Uganda and Uganda as a whole,” they said.
Modi is slated to fly into the country on Tuesday July 24, 2018 and will be hosted by President Museveni at State House Entebbe.
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