Museveni for Three-Day Kigali Visit

Risdel Kasasira

28 July 2011

President Museveni will spend the weekend in Rwanda on a three-day state visit with his wife and a delegation of at least 100 officials.

The visit is seen as a sign of improved relations between Uganda and Rwanda after the two countries accused each other of harbouring respective dissidents. Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kutesa told Daily Monitor yesterday that Mr Museveni and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame will discuss trade, security, ICT and joint research on agriculture.

Ms Kagame’s visit

Mr Museveni’s visit to Kigali follows a recent four-day visit to Uganda by Jeannette Kagame, the Rwandan First Lady, and her children. Mr Museveni will also travel with his daughter Natasha Karugire. Relations between Rwanda and Uganda soured in 1999 after armies of the two countries fought in Kisangani, DR Congo.

When asked whether the visit is intended to mend relations between the two countries, Mr Kutesa said “the relations were mended long time ago”. The visit will be preceded by a two-day Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) meeting by the countries’ foreign ministers, Ms Mushikiwabo and Mr Kutesa.

Second visit in two years

The advance team is already in Kigali preparing for the visit. The JPC meet will focus on ways to enhance mutually-beneficial bilateral programmes and upgrade existing ones in various areas. This is the second visit President Museveni is making to Rwanda in two years.

On Friday, the first day of the visit, Mr Kagame and Mr Museveni will have a joint meeting with both foreign ministers to validate the outcomes of the bilateral meeting. The day after, Mr Museveni will join hands with the Rwandan people in the monthly Umuganda community service. He will also tour the recently established free trade zone.

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