Mugabe, Kibaki, Bashir arrive
Jun 06, 2004
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni on Sunday braved the afternoon sun and hectic schedule at Entebbe International Airport to welcome his colleagues in Uganda for the 9th Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) business summit that opens today at the International Conference Centre.
By Steven Odeu
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni on Sunday braved the afternoon sun and hectic schedule at Entebbe International Airport to welcome his colleagues in Uganda for the 9th Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) business summit that opens today at the International Conference Centre.
Eight African presidents, a king, a vice-president, three ministers and the Commonwealth Secretary General, Donald Mcknnon, arrived on Sunday.
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, accompanied by First Lady Grace, arrived at Entebbe at 5:30pm aboard Air Zimbabwe Boeing 737 - flight number Z-WPA. He was received by Museveni.
President Omar el Bashir of Sudan was among the first to arrive at 12:45pm aboard a presidential jet ST-PSA. After the two national anthems were played by the Army brass band, Bashir, dressed in a black suit, chatted with President Museveni.
Bashir is the outgoing chairman of COMESA. He will hand over the chair to Museveni.
The first head of state to arrive at 9:20am was President Azali Asoumani of Comoros. He came aboard Kenya Airways passenger flight number 5Y-KQH and was received by Professor Ssemakula Kiwanuka, the state minister for Luweero Triangle.
Ssemakula was guided by protocol on what to do, especially when President Asoumani was going to inspect the guard of honour. He was stopped by protocol from following the president.
Being his first time in Uganda, Asoumani was honoured with a 21-gun salute before being escorted to Kampala.
The usually quiet Entebbe Airport on Sundays was yesterday busy with aircraft landing and flying off. All domestic aircraft were relocated to the military base. However, UN planes maintained a busy schedule to DR Congo at the main airport.
President Bingu Wamutharika, the newly sworn in President of Malawi was the forth to arrive at 2:30pm and was received by President Museveni. Bingu, who had the biggest entourage, was accompanied by his wife, Ethel. They flew in aboard a commercial flight on Air Malawi 7Q-YKP, Boeing 737 - 300.
Museveni waited for about three minutes as Wamutharika's entourage came out before he could welcome him to Uganda for the first time. Bingu won elections last month to replaced Bakilli Muluzi.
The light-skinned Bingu, looking slightly taller than President Museveni as they walked on the red carpet, was guided twice as he inspected the guard.
To arrive shortly after Bingu was the Egyptian Premier, Dr. Atef Ebied. The Minister for the Presidency, Kirunda Kivejinja, received him.
President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya arrived at 4:15pm in the company of his wife Lucy, aboard a presidential jet KAF 308. Lucy wore a blue dress, blue shoe, carried a blue bag and spotted golden earrings with an Afro hair style. She looked happy.
President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, also in the company of the Zambian first lady, arrived at 5:00pm aboard a presidential jet ZS-DSG. He also received the 21-gun salute.
President Domitien Ndayizeye of Burundi arrived at 5:30pm aboard flight 9U-BHG.
President Ismael Omar of Djibouti arrived at 6:15pm.
President Museveni was now left with only one task of receiving His Majesty King Mswati of Swaziland (above) who arrived shortly after 8:00pm.
Jean Pierre Bemba, the vice-president of DR Congo, arrived at 6:40pm. Rwandan President Paul Kagame arrives today.
Ends
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni on Sunday braved the afternoon sun and hectic schedule at Entebbe International Airport to welcome his colleagues in Uganda for the 9th Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) business summit that opens today at the International Conference Centre.
Eight African presidents, a king, a vice-president, three ministers and the Commonwealth Secretary General, Donald Mcknnon, arrived on Sunday.
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, accompanied by First Lady Grace, arrived at Entebbe at 5:30pm aboard Air Zimbabwe Boeing 737 - flight number Z-WPA. He was received by Museveni.
President Omar el Bashir of Sudan was among the first to arrive at 12:45pm aboard a presidential jet ST-PSA. After the two national anthems were played by the Army brass band, Bashir, dressed in a black suit, chatted with President Museveni.
Bashir is the outgoing chairman of COMESA. He will hand over the chair to Museveni.
The first head of state to arrive at 9:20am was President Azali Asoumani of Comoros. He came aboard Kenya Airways passenger flight number 5Y-KQH and was received by Professor Ssemakula Kiwanuka, the state minister for Luweero Triangle.
Ssemakula was guided by protocol on what to do, especially when President Asoumani was going to inspect the guard of honour. He was stopped by protocol from following the president.
Being his first time in Uganda, Asoumani was honoured with a 21-gun salute before being escorted to Kampala.
The usually quiet Entebbe Airport on Sundays was yesterday busy with aircraft landing and flying off. All domestic aircraft were relocated to the military base. However, UN planes maintained a busy schedule to DR Congo at the main airport.
President Bingu Wamutharika, the newly sworn in President of Malawi was the forth to arrive at 2:30pm and was received by President Museveni. Bingu, who had the biggest entourage, was accompanied by his wife, Ethel. They flew in aboard a commercial flight on Air Malawi 7Q-YKP, Boeing 737 - 300.
Museveni waited for about three minutes as Wamutharika's entourage came out before he could welcome him to Uganda for the first time. Bingu won elections last month to replaced Bakilli Muluzi.
The light-skinned Bingu, looking slightly taller than President Museveni as they walked on the red carpet, was guided twice as he inspected the guard.
To arrive shortly after Bingu was the Egyptian Premier, Dr. Atef Ebied. The Minister for the Presidency, Kirunda Kivejinja, received him.
President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya arrived at 4:15pm in the company of his wife Lucy, aboard a presidential jet KAF 308. Lucy wore a blue dress, blue shoe, carried a blue bag and spotted golden earrings with an Afro hair style. She looked happy.
President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, also in the company of the Zambian first lady, arrived at 5:00pm aboard a presidential jet ZS-DSG. He also received the 21-gun salute.
President Domitien Ndayizeye of Burundi arrived at 5:30pm aboard flight 9U-BHG.
President Ismael Omar of Djibouti arrived at 6:15pm.
President Museveni was now left with only one task of receiving His Majesty King Mswati of Swaziland (above) who arrived shortly after 8:00pm.
Jean Pierre Bemba, the vice-president of DR Congo, arrived at 6:40pm. Rwandan President Paul Kagame arrives today.
Ends