His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of Uganda and CPTM Patron of Smart Partnerships hosted a CPTM Side Event in the margins of NAM Summit/G77 in Uganda on 20th January 2024. This landmark event was the first time that the CPTM Smart Partnership community had gathered outside London since 2013.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, His Excellency was unable to host the event on the day. In his place the first Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for East African Affairs, the Rt Hon Rebecca Kadaga (also Uganda Coordinator for CPTM) gave the opening remarks, and chaired the session.
His Excellency Professor Sam Tulya-Muhika, CPTM Director and Uganda Ambassador to Somalia, spoke on the history of the Smart Partnership Movement, CPTM’s new focus on agriculture and the need for countries to develop clear national visions for agriculture.
David Babington-Smith and Sean de Cleene, Lead Advisor introduced CPTM’s proposed two new regional investment funds to catalyse small-holder farming; the AgriFoodTech Innovation Fund (to be hosted in Rwanda), and the Fund for Commodity Processing Hubs (to be hosted in Zambia).
The leaders of the Delegations from Rwanda and Zambia, The Honourable Dr Édouard Ngirente, Prime Minister of Rwanda, and the Honourable Ambrose Lufuma, Minister of Defence, both confirmed their governments’ willingness to support the initiative and host the respective funds.
Seven Country Delegations participated in the meeting, led by:
- Uganda; Right Honourable Rebecca Kadaga, First Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda, and Minister for East African Affairs (Host)
- Lesotho; The Honourable Lejome Mpotjoana, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head of Delegation
- Malaysia, His Excellency Ruzaimi Mohamad, Ambassador to Kenya
Namibia; Mr. Haihambo Sikongo, Executive Director, Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade - Rwanda; The Honourable Dr Édouard Ngirente, Prime Minister of Rwanda, Head of Delegation
- Tanzania; The Honourable Jamal Kassim Ali, Minister of State, Presidents Office, Zanzibar
- Zambia; The Honourable Ambrose Lufuma, Minister of Defence, Head of Delegation
Other participants included the Right Honourable Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, former Prime Minister of Uganda, delegates from Tunisia and the Smart 29ers.
CPTM held follow bilateral meetings the next day with the Botswana Delegation, led by His Excellency Ambassador Zenene Sinombe (Director, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and the Tanzania Delegation, led by the Honourable Jamal Kassim Ali, (Minister of State).