Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari, the president of the Uganda National Chamber of Trade and Investment has been elected to sit on a 20-member World Chamber Federation General Council that governs the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
The ICC, is global network of chambers of commerce from more than 100 countries. It has over the last 100 years been mandated with promoting international trade and global regulation of business activity. It brings together the world’s leading companies, SMEs, business associations and local chambers of commerce, as well as representing interests of members at World Trade Organisation, the United Nations and the G20.
ICC chamber members from more than 100 countries in November elected their 20 preferred chamber leaders (from 46 candidates), to serve on the WCF General Council (2020-2022).
A letter of appointment from the ICC called on Uganda’s representative, Dr Rukaari’s support in representing the voice of the global chamber community within the ICC. The first meeting for the new WCF General Council will be held on 12-13 February 2020 in Paris, France at the ICC Headquarters.
The Uganda National Chamber of Trade and Investment (UNCTI) was created in August 2019 as a non-profit autonomous business membership organization that represents and protects interests of the business community in Uganda by supports the development of trade and investment, lobbying for a favourable environment for businesses in the country and promoting Uganda as a preferred national/International business and investment hub.
Dr. Rukaari has held several executive positions in the procurement industry in Uganda and internationally.
He started out in top management at Swiss Procurement Company (SWIPCO SA) and has been in charge of setting up operations of several procurement firms across Africa, notably SWIPCO SA, Inspection Control Services (ICS) and American Procurement Company (AMPROC INC) which he currently is the Chief Executive Officer and chairman of the board of directors.
Dr. Rukaari holds an Honorary Doctorate from the United Graduate College and Seminary International as an eminent personality and a successful businessman in Uganda.
He holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration and a Masters Degree in Peace and Strategic Studies. He is also the Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Morocco in Uganda, before which he represented Malawi in Uganda under the same portfolio.
Dr. Rukaari is also a national leader, serving on the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the ruling party in Uganda, the National Resistance Movement, where he serves as the Chairman Entrepreneurs League. He is board chairman of the Africa Strategic Leadership Centre, a think tank that is at the centre of dialogue on issues affecting Africa as a continent.
Under his leadership, the ASLC has been behind the success of one of Africa’s biggest discussions in 2019, the Africa Now Conference.
Dr. Rukaari is passionate about issues of Africa’s youth development. He has personally been fronting for the private sector to lead in economic transformation of Uganda.
It is because of his stand on the private sector-led strategy for economic transformation that in June 2019, the Office of the President in Uganda, picked him out to lead the national organising committee of the West Nile Investment Symposium, a dialogue that brought together thousands of delegates from across the world to discuss issues of developing Africa’s Upper Nile Valley to become a business hub. The dialogue resulted in the setting up of a business incubation centre at Muni University in Northern Uganda and attracted Germany investors to fund a post-harvest handling facility at the university.
“I intend to mobilise and be the link to SMEs in Uganda, the East African Community and Africa at large to participate in WCF’s activities which are designed to promote the role SMEs play in the global economy. I will help guide the SMEs on how to access the support needed to grow. This will be through the programmes I currently oversee, supervising business incubation centres,” Rukaari says, adding: I have been an advocate for private sector-led growth and using the WCF platform, I intend to continue this advocacy so that private sector players take the lead in transformation of economies in Africa,” he added.
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