The government of Uganda and businessman Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia are finalising a joint venture blueprint to build a modern Convention Centre at Commonwealth Speke Resort Munyonyo to host the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit later next year.

The architectural designs and bill of quantities for the engineering works are still being prepared, but the construction is estimated to cost $40m (Shs140b), multiple sources with working knowledge of the project have told this newspaper.

It is unclear how much each side will invest, considering that Mr Sudhir owns the land, with Finance Minister Matia Kasaija saying the government lacked enough money to build its own convention centre on its land.
“It is an urgent project, and a lot of money is needed which will be difficult for government [to muster at short notice]. [The] government does not have all the money. There are many things we have to do; so, if we find a partner, it is easier,” he said.

He added: “We are undertaking the project in partnership with Sudhir. [The government puts in] and Sudhir puts in money. The architects are still calculating, and then we will know how much government, and Sudhir are going to pay. If we go together in business, when it starts to make money, we share the profits.”

In 2006, the government advanced about Shs8.8b to Meera Investment, the property development arm of Sudhir’s business conglomerate, to build 59 presidential suites at present-day Commonwealth Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala to accommodate Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) delegates in November 2007.

According to highly-placed sources, Ms Nabbanja convened an executive meeting early this month, attended by Sudhir and technocrats from the ministries of Finance and Works led by their respective permanent secretaries.

That meeting was also attended by Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, who lobbied for Uganda to host the NAM summit.

The Movement comprises 120 countries that are not aligned to any of the rival eastern and western power blocs and it was founded during the Asian-Africa meeting in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955.
In its early years, NAM pursued decolonisation.

However, it has in the post-independence period morphed into a powerful bloc — second in numerical strength to the United Nations — to advocate for political and economic rights as well as canvassing positions of member countries on global affairs.

It is leaders of these countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, with observer China and Russia, who are expected to convene in Kampala in November 2023 for the Movement’s summit that due to the Covid pandemic disruptions was last held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in October 2019.
“To host NAM, you need state-of-the-art facilities like first-class accommodation and dining facilities, and a convention centre, which is being planned for at Speke Resort Munyonyo,” Amb Ayebare said last night.

As a follow-up of the early February meeting, Sudhir on Saturday hosted Prime Minister Nabbanja alongside minister Kasaija at his resort where a cross-section of government technocrats and Sudhir’s employees thrashed out details of the project, including previewing the architectural designs.

In one tweet on Saturday, the resort noted the arrival of Ms Nabbanja and Mr Kasaija at the venue and in another, accompanied with photographs, added that “site plan for the new Speke Resort Convention Centre happening now in Albert Hotel”.

We were unsuccessful to speak to the premier despite multiple attempts, while Mr Sudhir, when asked about the rationale and details of the planned joint venture last evening, curtly said: “Leave me out of this”.

Sources familiar with the discussions said the project is to comprise a 3,500-seat ultra-modern auditorium, a suspended restaurant overlooking Lake Victoria, while additional presidential suites will be created with smaller conference rooms for sideline meetings during the NAM summit.