 | The Programme | The theme of the ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers Summit is “Enhancing Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability for Africa’s Prosperity.” The programme has been emailed to you and a hard copy will also be made available as part of the materials for the Summit. |
 | ASARECA | This Summit is hosted by the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries and has been co-organized by ASARECA and CIMMYT with funding from ACIAR and ASARECA member countries. ASARECA and CIMMYT with the support of the government of Uganda will coordinate all security, protocol, ground transport, accreditation and other meeting arrangements. |
 | Confirmation of Attendance | Delegates are requested to confirm their participation in the summit as soon as they receive their invitation letters to facilitate event logistic arrangements. Kindly confirm your availability by 22nd March 2019 to secretariat@asareca.org copied to r.namuzibwa@asareca.org and m.kyotalimye@asareca.org to enable us proceed with the logistical arrangements or on +256 772 367750. |
 | Travel | The ASARECA Secretariat or the CIMMYT Secretariat shall send a ticket to each sponsored delegate upon receipt of confirmation of attendance. |
 | Registration and Accreditation for the Summit | There will be clearly marked signs to the accreditation and registration desk. Registration and accreditation for the Summit will be carried out at the venue as follows: Wednesday 1st May 2019 from 14.00 pm – 19.00 hrs Thursday 2nd May 2019 from 9.00 am – 19.00 hrs Friday 3rd May 2019 from 9.00 am – 14.00 hrs
Kindly produce your Passport or ID as confirmation of Identification for Accreditation. Please wear your accreditation card at all the venues and comply with all security procedures. |
 | Visa Information | All travelers to the Republic of Uganda MUST have a valid visa & corresponding fees where applicable. Uganda visas may be obtained at Uganda missions abroad or on arrival at the ports of entry in the country. Please check with the Uganda Embassy or Consular representative in your country. Delegates with diplomatic passports, service/official passports or AU/UN laissez passer who are travelling on official duty are exempted from visa fees The following nationalities are also exempt from any visa payments: Angola, Antigua, Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Cyprus, Eritrea, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, St. Vincent-Tonga, Swaziland, Tanzania, The Grenadines, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. All other nationalities (not listed above) who are ordinary passport holders will be expected to pay US$50 for a single entry visa For those wishing to stay for longer than 30 days, those who anticipate multiple entries and for further information on visas for Uganda please visit www.migration.go.ug |
 | Passport / Travel Document Validity | All travelers must hold a valid passport or another acceptable travel document. The document must have a validity of at least 6 months on the day of entry into Uganda. |
 | Vaccination Requirements | All travelers to the Republic of Uganda MUST have a valid Yellow Fever Immunization card Vaccinations are available at the airport on arrival for USD 50. |
 | WORKSHOP VENUE | The Summit will be held at the Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Munyonyo, Kampala, Uganda. The Hotel is located 39 km or about 41 minutes from Entebbe International Airport via the Kampala – Entebbe Expressway. for more information about the Hotel you may visit: https://www.spekeresort.com/ MEETING HALL The Albert Conference Hall on 3rd May 2019 starting at 08:00am |
 | ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES | A welcome courtesy and access to the VIP lounge will be accorded the heads of delegation, heads of regional economic communities and development partners on arrival at Entebbe Airport. Diplomatic missions in Uganda whose citizens wish to welcome their delegations should communicate to the Protocol department of MOFA the names of those to be designated in the welcome team well in advance to be accorded access to the VIP lounge. This number cannot exceed 8 per delegation. A dedicated booth with ushers will also be installed at the airport and venue to receive and guide the event delegates |
 | SECURITY/VIP PROTECTION | Security at the venue will be provided by the Uganda Police |
 | AIRPORT TRANSFERS | The meeting venue is a 41 minute drive from the airport. Shuttle services for international delegates will be provided from the airport by the hotel based on travel itineraries. You will be received on arrival, but otherwise, please look out for the Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Munyonyo Signage. For departure, participants are advised to inform the Hotel Reception Desk to confirm their drop off time to the airport. Self-sponsored delegates are requested to share their travel itineraries a week in advance to enable the scheduling of pickups. Transport will also be provided for delegates from the hotel to all official social events. Private cars & taxis may be hired at the delegate’s cost. Please contact the hotel reception for assistance. |
 | HOTEL ACCOMMODATION | The Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Munyonyo, Kampala is the designated hotel for accommodation of all delegates. It is also the venue for the Summit. Rooms have been reserved at the meeting venue for all delegates. Please see the attached list of discounted rates per night, bed and breakfast inclusive of all taxes. Other rooming options at the Summit venue and other hotels nearby have also been attached for your information. Please confirm your preference by 22nd March 2019 to secretariat@asareca.org copied to r.namuzibwa@asareca.org and m.kyotalimye@asareca.org to enable us confirm the bookings. You will be expected to pay the hotel directly for accommodation and all other extras before checking out. Participants are expected to check out from the hotel room by 10:00 am on the day of departure. |
 | PER DIEM | Sponsored delegates will receive a per diem of US$ 207 per night to cover accommodation and all other incidentals. The per diem payment will be made in US dollars by the meeting secretariat on the evening of 3rd May in the meeting hall. Please submit your boarding passes and receipts for local transport refund and visas if any. Note that the Meeting Secretariat will not refund the costs of mandatory vaccinations. |
 | BOARDING PASSES | For accountability purposes, please retain and submit your boarding passes. The Boarding passes shall be collected by the ASARECA secretariat staff during the meeting. |
 | COFFEE / TEA BREAKS AND LUNCHES | Mid-morning and afternoon tea/coffee with snacks will be served during tea breaks at the meeting venue. Buffet lunch will be served with one soft drink soda/water at the Hotel Restaurant. |
 | FLIGHT RE-CONFIRMATIONS / CHANGES | Airline tickets are usually reconfirmed automatically by the airlines. Requests for changes to flight tickets can be done through the meeting secretariat at the participant’s own cost. |
 | SOCIAL EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOURISM | The Host Minister, the Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja will host you and his fellow Ministers to a dinner on the evening of 2nd May 2019. Details will be shared with you in a follow up email. All delegates are also invited to a cocktail reception on the evening of 3rd May 2019. The cocktail will feature awards and appreciation of ASARECA’s outgoing Board of Directors while offering an opportunity for delegates to network. Besides their usual amenities, the hotel also offers boat and horse rides at a fee. Arrangements can be made directly at the hotel reception. The nearest tourist offer would be a day trip to Jinja town which includes a detour to see the Sezibwa Falls, Mabira Forest, rounding it off with boat rides, bungee jumping, or white-water rafting at the source of the Nile river. For participants who can extend their stay at their cost to see more of the Pearl of Africa please visit http://www.corporate.visituganda.com/ for additional details |
 | MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS | First aid and emergency medical services will be available at the venue and airport. For more extensive medical services, delegates are advised to seek treatment at one of the designated facilities to be communicated. Ambulance transportation and hospitalization to undesignated health care facilities are taken at the expense of the delegate Remember: If you are on medication, please carry a sufficient supply for the duration of your stay. Should any prescription medication be required, this service would be provided but at the guest’s expense. Guests are strongly advised to obtain adequate international health insurance cover for the duration of their stay in Uganda. The cover is at the delegates own cost |
 | ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES | The Occupational health and Safety Unit has a mandate to ensure that there are no potential threats to Uganda’s guests ranging from water contamination, food sanitation and public health hazards The tap water in Uganda is however not safe to drink without boiling. Delegates are advised to buy properly sealed water |
 | WEATHER | Temperatures in Kampala in May range from 19 – 260 C. Afternoons can be hot with average high temperatures reaching 26 °C. Overnight temperatures are generally mild with an average low of 19 °C. May is generally a wet month. |
 | Telecommunications | Uganda has the following Ugandan mobile telecommunication service providers: MTN; Airtel; Uganda Telecom; Africell; Vodafone; Smile Telecom; Smart Telecom; Sure Telecom; and K2 Telecom. Mobile telephone service providers also provide gateways to internet using GPRS, 3G and 4G. Cell phone SIM cards are widely available. Every SIM card user/buyer in Uganda is expected by law to be registered prior to activation. A SIM card can be registered and activated at the designated service centres; a passport is required for registration. |
 | Currency, Banking Services and Foreign Currency Exchange | The unit of currency is the Uganda Shilling (UGX). Exchange rates are subject to fluctuation. Central bank rates can be found on the Bank of Uganda website www.bou.ug. Forex Bureaus are widely available at the airport and in the City. Banking hours are from 8am to 4pm on weekdays and from 9am to 12pm on Saturdays. Most internationally recognized currencies and travelers cheques can be exchanged at commercial banks, hotels and the airport. Major credit cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops. Credit and debit transactions attract a surcharge of about 5%. |
 | Local time | The time in Uganda is GMT+3 |
 | Electricity Supply | The electricity supply in Uganda is 220/240V AC. It is advisable to bring your own adapter and transformer for 110V AC |
 | Emergency Services | In case of emergency, please call 999 or 112 |
 | INQUIRIES | Please direct all queries to the Information Desk at the venue or get in touch with Rachael N. Musisi on Mobile / WhatsApp: +256 772 367750 or r.namuzibwa@asareca.org |