PRESIDENT MUSEVENI OPENS POATE 2026, HIGHLIGHTS UGANDA’S COMPETITIVE TOURISM EDGE

By Ramlah Kakumba

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni opened the 10th Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) 2026 at the Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo in Kampala on Thursday, May 21, 2026. POATE is a three-day tourism expo organized by the Uganda Tourism Board under the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation.” The expo drew delegates, investors, tour operators, exhibitors, and media representatives from around the world.

During his remarks, the president praised Uganda’s unique climate and tourism attractions, describing the country as one of the most naturally gifted places in the world. He noted that Uganda’s location along the Equator and its high altitude create favorable temperatures throughout the year.

“When you come to Uganda, you don’t need to warm the air or cool it,” Museveni said. “The weather here is naturally comfortable.”

He pointed to the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains as proof of Uganda’s rare geography and said few places in the world enjoy similar climatic conditions.

Museveni further praised Uganda’s fertile soils and organic foods, arguing that the country has the capacity to feed not only itself but also other parts of the world. He also highlighted Uganda’s cultural heritage, noting that the country remains one of the few places where traditional African culture, language, and food are largely preserved.

The opening ceremony was attended by tourism delegates from Kenya, Tanzania, China, Eswatini, and South Africa, along with members of the diplomatic corps and Uganda’s tourism stakeholders.

POATE 2026 runs from May 21 to May 23 and is expected to strengthen Uganda’s position as one of Africa’s leading tourism destinations while promoting investment opportunities in the sector.

The Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) aims to market Uganda as a preferred, competitive, and sustainable global destination while fostering strategic business partnerships across the tourism value chain. Organized annually by the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), the expo serves as Uganda's premier tourism and travel marketplace.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni reassured Ugandans and international visitors that the Ebola situation in the country is under control and urged the public and the media to avoid unnecessary panic.

President Museveni said Ebola is far easier to manage than COVID-19 because it spreads through intimate contact rather than through the air. “Ebola is much easier to control than coronavirus. The coronavirus was very dangerous because you could get infected simply by sitting in the same room or on the same bus as someone infected. Ebola spreads through intimate contact, and a person becomes infectious only after symptoms begin to show,” Museveni said.

The President explained that Uganda has experience handling disease outbreaks and emphasized that the government has already implemented measures, including temperature screening at border points and public sensitization campaigns, to prevent further spread of Ebola.

Uganda’s National Taskforce on Ebola Virus Disease, chaired by Vice President H.E. Jessica Alupo and led by the Ministry of Health, is actively enforcing containment measures following imported cases of the rare Ebola Bundibugyo strain.

During a situation report at the Uganda Media Centre on Thursday, May 21, 2026, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, said Uganda had no Ebola cases at the time. “As I speak now, we don’t have Ebola in the country. The imported case we were treating tested negative this afternoon,” Diana announced.