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The Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) has asked government agencies and Ministries to market Speke Resort convention centre in and out of the country.

Promoting the centre as a tourism and conference infrastructure would bring in more foreign earnings and position Uganda with the capacity to host global conferences, UDC executive director, Patrick Birungi, said.

The convention centre hosted the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the G77+ China in January.

While addressing the media shortly after the inspection of the centre, Birungi said the main purpose of the centre was to host the NAM and G77 summit that ended and currently the centre is free but can still serves other purposes.

“The main purpose of this centre was to host NAM and G77+ China summit but currently the centre is not in use. The facility is currently available for meetings, and conferences among other events from both within Uganda and globally,” Birungi said observing the need to attract business to the convention centre.

Uganda Tourism Board, government agencies, private sector, and public sector, please let us market this centre in our various meetings and bring the conference here that we are ready to host here. The seating capacity of the conference hall stands at 3800 people both in the gallery and main hall down.

This is the largest convention centre in the region and none is comparable to it,” Birungi revealed.

Geraldine Ssali Busuulwa the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Patrick Birungi the Executive Director Uganda Development Corporation (UDC), Sudhir Ruparelia, Eng. Godfrey Ruhurira the board chairperson of UDC looking on as Sheena Ruparelia addresses them during the inspection

He noted that UDC is a partner in the convention centre owning 50% of the shares of the centre and other shares are owned by Meera Investment Limited owned by the Ruparelia Group of companies.

Birungi said that in Commonwealth Resort, the government owns only 25% of the shares.

The chairman of the Ruparelia Group of companies Sudhir Ruparelia said when the construction of the convention centre started in 2023, 99.9% of the people never believed that the convention centre would be completed on time adding this he and some of his family members had to sleep at the construction site to see that the work is done perfectly and completed on time.

“Sheena Ruparelia slept at the construction site for six months. Every day they started the construction at 6:00 am and left at 11:00 pm. I slept at the construction site for four months and my wife and other daughters Meera Ruparelia were also here at the construction site supervising,” Sudhir said adding that the construction of the centre was a big commitment of the family.

Sudhir revealed that within one year, the work design was done and construction commenced he had to import 400 containers of construction, furniture, and chandeliers among others.

“Our neighboring countries are marketing their centres and hope that we can also do the same to see that this centre is marketed to,” Sudhir said.