Late last month, Uganda hosted the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Kampala where over 800 delegates from 53 countries that were once colonies or territories of Great Britain attended.
There have been numerous people asking whether Uganda really benefited from the conference or taxpayers’ money was spent in vain for the preparation of the conference.
Today, Speaker of Parliament Hon. Rebecca Kadaga conducted a live chat on Twitter regarding the just-concluded CPC, and that is when she revealed that the people of Uganda reaped big from the conference.
Kadaga said that the delegates were fed on Ugandan food and resided in Ugandan hotels which ensured continued employment to a sizeable number of Ugandans in these hotels.
Kadaga also noted that there is a woman who fell in front of her (in gratitude) for making sales worth $1,000 (about Shs3.7m). Several people had their art and craft items as well as cultural items showcasing Uganda’s cultures and customs displayed at Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo, the venue of the conference. These people also made sales.
Kadaga said that some delegates, like the Canada and New Zealand delegation, stayed behind after the conference to enjoy more of Uganda, and they are spending money that goes directly into the Ugandan economy.