Archives: When Princess Anne first visited Uganda

The UK’s Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence arrived in Uganda on Tuesday for a four-day visit.

This was their first royal tour since Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. The only daughter of Elizabeth and the younger sister of King Charles III, Anne, also known as Princess Royal, is 16th in the line of succession to the throne.

This is not the first time the princess is visiting Uganda. She first visited Uganda in 1988. Below, we share a story that was written by Godfrey Byaruhanga and published in the New Vision on February 24, 1988.

Prince Royal starts tour

Save the Children Fund (SCF) president, Her Royal Highness Princess Royal arrived on February 23, 1988, aboard the Queen's flight BA 146 flying the Uganda Flag and the Royal Standard, at the start of a four-day visit to Uganda.

She was here on a tour of some of the projects funded exclusively or jointly by the SCF.

The Princess, formerly known as Princess Anne is the second child and only daughter of (the late) Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

She was received at Entebbe Airport by the vice-chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Colonel Moses Kigongo and other Government and British High Commission officials.

Soon after arrival, she paid a courtesy call on President Yoweri Museveni at State House, Entebbe. They held discussions that lasted about one hour

The outgoing minister of Health, DR Ruhakana Rugunda, received her at the head-quarters of the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunisation (UNEPI).

He told her that her visit to Uganda was a morale booster to health workers in Uganda especially those involved in caring for children.

He said "children are the most vulnerable group of society. This is because they cannot articulate their case to politicians and their resistance to disease is minimal. In cases of food shortages, they are unable to fight with their elders for food."

Rugunda said SCF had contributed about $700,000 towards immunisation in Uganda. "As a result of aid by the SCF and other charitable organisations, the child mortality rate was expected to fall from 120 children per 1000 to about 100 deaths for every 1000 born

He disclosed that the Government in conjunction with the United State Agency for International Development (USAID), will be producing Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS).

"The ORS factory is expected to be finished by the end of this year. This will go a long way in radically reducing mortality caused by dehydration," he said.

Rugunda told Princess Royal that with the help of the European Economic Community (EEC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Government had made significant advances in combating sleeping sickness which was affecting seven districts in Uganda.

"The population has also responded by clearing bushes harbouring tsetse flies," he noted.

On AIDS, the minister said Uganda is at the forefront of the global struggle against the killer disease AIDS.

He pointed out that a massive education programme was going on countrywide.

"The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other organisations were to raise four million US dollars for a health information programme," he said, adding that the programme would concentrate on AIDS but not exclusively.

He observed that AIDS contributed minimally to the death of 90,000 children who died of preventable diseases yearly.

He said it was an additional problem which not overshadow other causes of death and sickness of children.

"AIDS is preventable through behavioural changes and judicious medical care," Rugunda said.

From UNEPI, the princess witnessed an immunisation session at Kawuku Immunisation centre on Entebbe Road. She was entertained by traditional dancers.

Before leaving the centre, she was presented with gifts which included a straw hat and mats. She was then driven straight to Kampala Sheraton Hotel where she would be staying.

Princess Royal admiring a hat made of palm fronds presented to her by an offical at Kawuku market in Entebbe. (File photo)

Contrary to other international figures, she was travelling on the right side of the car with her aid on the left.

In the afternoon, she visited Mulago Hospital where she toured Mwanamugimu Clinic.

She was shown around by DR Kakitahi who headed the department. She found mothers being educated on how to care for their children and saw children who were being fed and treated there. The new Mulago Hospital had been opened by the Duchess of Kent in 1962.

At Naguru Remand Home, she was received by the outgoing deputy minister of rehabilitation, Gertrude Njuba. SCF was jointly funding the home for the destitute children who learnt shoe making and tailoring at their workshop, but the garden where they were supposed to learn farming was conspicuous without crops.

She ended the tour at Nsambya Babies Home where she was received by the Auxiliary Bishop of Kampala, the Rt Rev Joseph Mukwaya.

The bishop asked the princess to consider sponsoring some of the school-age children. The nursery ran by the home needed another classroom block. He asked SCF to consider it on its programmes.

Princess Royal ended her tour at 5:06 pm.

On the next day, she visited the Luwero Triangle. She also visited Iganga and Mukono and left Uganda on February 26, 1988, after paying a courtesy call on President Museveni at State House, Entebbe.

For more stories and historical perspective like this, visit the New Vision Archives here.