From 30 September to 1 October, a delegation of MEDEF International, led by Mr. Jean Burelle (also President of the automotive BURELLE SA) and Mr. Patrick Lucas (CEO of GRAS Savoye), visited Kampala. The delegation was composed of 14 members representing different major French companies; Ellipse Projects, Ingenico, Tractebel Engineering, Alstom, Burel SA, CMA CGM, EBIS Ecobank Group, ETDE, Gras Savoye, SOGEA-SATOM, Groupe Vinci, TenCate Geosynthetics France SAS.
This visit, unprecedented in Uganda, was to establish initial contact between MEDEF International and all Ugandan personalities both within the political sphere and the private sector.
In this context, the delegation first met with the community of French businessmen established in Uganda and their Ugandan counterparts in the private sector for possible partnerships. The delegation then visited various strategic ministries: of energy, transport and works, finance as well as that of the East African Community. The delegation also met with representatives of international donors (World Bank and European Commission).
The visit ended with a positive exchange with President Museveni. The Ugandan President was surrounded for the occasion by four of his key ministers (energy, trade, industry and tourism, micro-finance, regional co-operation) and officials from the different national investment sectors.
The visit of French investors’ encounter with President Museveni, was accompanied by an official press release from the government. It recalled the presence of several French companies already operating in Uganda, and the strong incentive for the authorities to promote French investment in the country, particularly in the infrastructure sector (roads and energy). The local press, well represented at various stages of the tour, has published several articles on the subject.
