By Ben Musanje
Cabinet has approved Shs3.869 billion to facilitate Uganda’s hosting of the final statutory ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) during the country’s current chairmanship.
The meeting, scheduled for December 2–4, 2026, will be one of the major diplomatic events hosted by Uganda before its tenure as chair of the 120-member movement ends in 2027.
The Shs3,869,005,000 budget was approved during Cabinet’s eighth meeting held on Monday at State House, Entebbe, and announced Tuesday by Minister for ICT and National Guidance Justine Kasule Lumumba during a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre.
The funding will support preparations and activities related to hosting the three-day ministerial meeting, according to the minister’s statement.
Cabinet also approved the formation of an organizing committee and technical subcommittees to oversee preparations for the event.
The allocation places the cost of hosting the ministerial meeting at nearly Shs1.29 billion per day, if spread evenly across the three days of the event. However, the approved figure covers the wider preparations and hosting requirements and should not be interpreted as a daily expenditure.
Uganda assumed the chairmanship of NAM for the 2024–2027 period after hosting the 19th NAM Summit in Kampala in January 2024.
The Kampala summit, held from January 15 to 20, 2024, was conducted under the theme “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.” It brought together leaders and representatives from NAM member states to deliberate on international peace, multilateralism, sovereignty, development and economic cooperation.
The summit ended with the adoption of the Kampala Declaration, which outlined the member states’ shared positions on international peace, sustainable development and geopolitical neutrality.
The December ministerial meeting will therefore be another major test of Uganda’s capacity to host high-level international engagements under its NAM chairmanship.
According to Lumumba, the meeting will provide Uganda with another opportunity to offer leadership within the Movement and promote cooperation on issues of shared concern among member states.
The government is expected to use the approved funds to coordinate the logistical, technical and organizational requirements necessary for the meeting. The organizing committee and its technical subcommittees will be responsible for coordinating the preparations.
The Shs3.87 billion allocation comes after Uganda hosted the 19th NAM Summit and the Third South Summit of the G77 and China in Kampala in 2024, placing the country at the center of diplomatic engagements involving developing countries.
With Cabinet now approving both the organizing structures and the funding, preparations for the December meeting can proceed ahead of the arrival of participating ministers and other delegates.
The meeting will also serve as one of Uganda’s final major engagements as chair of NAM, with the country expected to use the platform to advance cooperation among member states and consolidate the priorities established during its chairmanship. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
