Diaspora Homecoming ~ Home Is The Best 2015, MASAKA at Brovad Hotel

What is the Home is the Best Summit all about?

• The Home is the Best summit is a Diaspora event held annually and rotated regionally around the country to give Ugandans in the Diaspora an opportunity to:
• Appreciate the status of economic development and growth in the country,
  Realize the enormous investment potential
• And where they can, invest in order to generate income for themselves and create employment for their other fellow residents at home.

When did it start?

It all started in around 2001, so this is going to be the ninth summit in Uganda. Last year’s event showcased the potential and readiness of Northern Uganda for investment to Ugandans (both home based community and those in Diaspora). The week-long SME exhibition, which attracted 180 Ugandan business people and a one day business Summit attended by 130 domestic and 26 Diaspora Ugandans were held in Gulu. Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and United Nations Development Programme, organized the events and transported Ugandans living in the Diaspora to enable them to participate.

What is happening this year?

This year, the Home is the Best 2015 Summit- Masaka is scheduled to take place in Masaka town at Brovad Hotel. Dates — 17th and 18th December 2015 — The core objectives of this summit are to:

• Rejuvenate the economy of Masaka through increasing the productivity of agricultural products and investing in tourism services and the creation of tourism products
  Review the achievements of the last 8 summits in order to gain strategic direction that will benefit all the participants (both those residing in the Diaspora and in Uganda)
• Further strengthen the Uganda diaspora partnership with private sector through trade, investment and transfer of expertise and technology, as well as interaction with public sector back home at home through dialogue and exchange of ideas in formulating enabling policy for Ugandans in the Diaspora to engage favorably back home
• Reaffirming the Ugandan Diaspora commitment to participate in the National Development Programs at a local level

Why Masaka?

UIA began the concept of rotating the Summits regionally within Uganda about 3 years ago. We have held it in the East (Mbale), three times in the North (twice in Gulu and once in Lira), and this time round we randomly chose central and zeroed in on Masaka, which has a lot of investment potential in agriculture and agro processing, among other sectors. It is also an opportunity to enhance the productivity levels that had declined in the region. UIA will always ensure that wherever the Summits are held, it is a win win situation where potential investors are provided with profitable business opportunities and the communities benefit from the income generating opportunities that come with whatever investment is implemented in the region.

What should participants expect from this year’s summit?

The activities during the Summit will include a business exhibition by SMEs seeking markets and business partnership to expand, public sector stalls, a cultural gala, business to business networking and entertainment. The Summit will be climaxed with a high level dialogue between Ugandans in the Diaspora and invited private and public sector that will be telecast live on Ugandan TV and streamed via the internet for those in the Diaspora unable to attend the Masaka Summit.

Are there any significant investments that have been made by the Diaspora as a result of this engagement?

Diaspora Investments on the ground are in the areas of Agriculture, Education, Real Estate, Health Services Hospitality, and Sport sectors. Examples include:

• Gulu Independent Hospital
• Ibulanku Hospital Mayuge
• Paragon Hospital Kampala
• Ugarose
• RITA Medical Services- Wandegeya
• Executive Airport Hotel
• Christine Designers- Textile
• Mukono Satellite Town Center –Sports Shopping and Amusement Park (Car racing circuit) Fastino Motor Circuit
• Reeta Enterprises Apartment (Lumumba Avenue) –Real Estate
• Sembeguya Farm
• Lindsay Cottages
• Wana Solutions Limited
• Bweyogerere Independent Hospital (In UIA Industrial Park)
• Jakana-Investments

RSVP — John Musajjakawa – musajja@ugandainvest.go.ug or info@ugandainvest.go.ug

Ugandan Diaspora Network is a proud partner of Home is the Best event that culminates into our annual Ugandan Diaspora Gala held at the Kampala Serena Hotel every end of year 29th and 30th Dec.