First Lady meets South Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkish envoys

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The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs Janet Museveni, held separate meetings on Wednesday with the Ambassadors of South Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey to discuss strengthening educational cooperation and exploring further collaboration opportunities.

The envoys paid courtesy calls on the First Lady at State House Nakasero. The meetings were attended by State Ministers Dr J.C. Muyingo (Higher Education) and Peter Ogwang (Sports), along with senior technical officers from the Ministry of Education and Sports, led by Permanent Secretary, Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda.

During the meeting with H.E. Paul Molong Akaro, South Sudan's Ambassador to Uganda, both parties emphasized the importance of fostering strong educational ties between the two nations.

The South Sudanese Ambassador expressed his country's interest in aligning its curriculum with the Eastern Africa region to enhance integration. He also conveyed South Sudan's Minister of General Education's desire to visit Uganda to learn from its educational systems.

Ambassador Molong Akaro acknowledged the substantial number of South Sudanese students studying in Uganda and expressed gratitude for Uganda's hospitality toward South Sudanese refugees and students.

"We treat Uganda as our second home and we value the support given by H.E. President Museveni's government and the people of Uganda," the South Sudanese Ambassador said.

The First Lady, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, meets the Ambassador of South Sudan, H.E. Paul Molong Akaro at State House, Nakasero on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (PPU)

First Lady, Janet Museveni, reaffirmed Uganda's commitment to sharing resources and expertise to support South Sudan's development, noting her appreciation that South Sudan's leadership values the relationship.

"Uganda has gone through turbulent times in our history, which taught us to be humble as a people, to know that when others are in need, we must be available to them because we've been there before, and perhaps it was God's will that we learn through those difficult times so that we can be available to others when they live through times like those," said Mrs Museveni.

She added that Uganda values all its neighbors and prays that African relationships grow stronger, enabling nations to work together as brothers and sisters in addressing serious regional challenges.

South Sudan's Ambassador was accompanied by First Secretary Rita Chol Jal.

In a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Mohammad Khalil Faloudah, Mrs Museveni and the envoy voiced mutual appreciation and committed to working together for both nations' benefit.

The First Lady discussed her plans to send a delegation from Uganda’s Ministry of Education to Saudi Arabia for a benchmarking exercise on digitization and AI policies.

"I believe that we have the same concerns about our young people and the way they can access digitization and AI if they are not well guided. And so, I thought that perhaps it would be interesting for us to learn from your experience and know how we can cooperate in that area," she said.

The Saudi Ambassador stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations and highlighted the need to finalize agreements for such visits and collaborations, including the MoU for Scientific and Educational Cooperation between both countries' education ministries.

The First Lady, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, meets the High Commissioner of Pakistan, H.E. Muhammed Hassan Wazir at State House, Nakasero on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (PPU)

Later, Mrs Museveni met with Pakistan's High Commissioner to Uganda, H.E. Muhammad Hassan Wazir, who was accompanied by Deputy High Commissioner Bilal Abdul Mohsin Khan.

The Pakistani High Commissioner noted that their three-year-old mission in Uganda has fostered strong ties in trade, education, and cultural exchanges.

He outlined Pakistan's scholarship offerings in medicine, engineering, and sciences for Ugandan students, and discussed plans for an education expo in Kampala. "I hope in future our cooperation in the education field will be further strengthened," he said. 

He highlighted the Pakistani community's contributions to Uganda's business sector and their successful integration with local communities, crediting Uganda's safety, security, and political stability.

Mrs Museveni expressed interest in bringing Pakistani trainers to Uganda to enhance Technical Institutes' skills in organic cotton processing and infrastructure development. She also discussed making Pakistani partial scholarships more accessible to Ugandan students.

The High Commissioner announced that Pakistan has added Uganda to its list of business-friendly countries, simplifying visa processes for Ugandans.

The First Lady, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, meets the Ambassador of Turkey, H.E. Mehmet Fatih at State House, Nakasero, on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (PPU)

In her meeting with Turkish Ambassador, H.E. Fatih Ak, they explored ways to further strengthen bilateral relations.

First Lady proposed collaboration in training medical professionals. "It is something we would really like to do so that we can have a health system that is excellent and has trainers who can train our people here all the time," she explained. She commended Turkey's achievements both at home and in Uganda, expressing interest in having Uganda's Technical Institute instructors learn skills in road and railway construction.

The Turkish Ambassador highlighted the strong political and economic ties between the countries, noting ongoing projects including the Hoima stadium construction and railway development by Turkish companies.

He confirmed Turkey's continued support for vocational training and development programs through the Turkish Development Agency (TIKA), which has completed 98 projects in Uganda focusing on vocational training, agriculture, and education. He noted that Turkish NGOs are also active in charity and development initiatives.

The Ambassador discussed a scholarship program enabling Ugandan students to study in Turkey, with over 300 currently enrolled. The initiative aims to strengthen relations between the countries, with students serving as cultural and business bridges.

Ambassador Fatih Ak informed the meeting of the Turkish Maarif Foundation's plans to establish primary and secondary schools in Uganda. The foundation currently operates 478 educational institutions and 41 dormitories across 108 countries. A bilateral agreement is needed to formalize the foundation's operations in Uganda.