Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Marksons Oboth, has pressed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to lift travel restrictions on Ugandans and urged Beijing to deepen economic ties during high-level meetings at the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi, India.
Meeting with Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council, Oboth pushed for an immediate reconsideration of travel curbs put in place following past Ebola health measures.
Oboth argued that Uganda effectively shielded its citizens and international visitors from regional spillovers, making the ongoing restrictions unnecessary.
Calling the UAE Uganda’s single largest export market, Oboth emphasized that normal travel is vital to keeping trade and people-to-people exchanges flowing.
“We discussed the issue of lifting travel restrictions imposed on Uganda due to Ebola, which was an invasion from a neighbouring country that we have shielded our citizens and tourists from. The UAE matters a great deal to Uganda. It is our largest export market,” Oboth said.
Beyond the travel restrictions, the Speaker called for diversification of Uganda’s exports to the UAE, noting that the country’s trade potential extends beyond gold to agricultural and processed products.
“Much of what we sell to the UAE is gold. I want to see more Ugandan coffee, fish, fruit and other processed goods reach that market, and more investment in processing at home,” he said.
The Speaker challenged the current trade balance—heavily skewed toward gold—advocating for greater exports of Ugandan coffee, fish, fruit, and processed goods, alongside Emirati investments in local value-addition plants.
In separate talks with Zheng Jianbang, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, Oboth celebrated decades of bilateral cooperation.
Oboth highlighted landmark joint projects—including the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway, Karuma, and Isimba hydropower plants—as proof of a maturing partnership.
Oboth acknowledged the longstanding cordial relations between Uganda and China, describing China’s parliamentary system as one from which Uganda could draw valuable institutional and legislative experience.
He also highlighted the importance of expanding economic cooperation, particularly in trade, investment and value addition.
China is among Uganda’s leading sources of foreign direct investment, with bilateral cooperation contributing to the implementation of major infrastructure projects, including the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway and the Isimba and Karuma hydropower plants.
Oboth welcomed China’s decision to open its market to African products without tariffs, saying the initiative presents opportunities for Ugandan farmers, manufacturers and exporters to access a wider market.
“China’s decision to open its market to African products without tariffs gives our farmers and manufacturers an opportunity,” he said.
He expressed hope that the arrangement would facilitate increased exports of Ugandan coffee, fish and processed products to Chinese consumers, while encouraging greater investment in domestic processing and manufacturing.
On parliamentary relations, Zheng acknowledged the importance of parliamentary democracy and accepted Oboth’s invitation to visit Uganda. He also extended an invitation to the Ugandan Speaker to visit China, signalling mutual interest in strengthening institutional ties and legislative cooperation.
The engagements formed part of Uganda’s participation in the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, held at Samvidhan Sadan, Parliament House Estate, under the theme, “Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development.”
The forum, which brought together parliamentary leaders and delegations from participating countries, provided a platform for discussing the role of legislatures in promoting inclusive development, international cooperation and stronger institutional partnerships.
Uganda’s engagements with the UAE and China underscore the growing importance of parliamentary diplomacy in complementing government-to-government relations, particularly in advancing trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people cooperation.
Speaker Oboth was accompanied by the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi; Hon. Betty Nakisita Mpongo; Hon. Sowedi Ismail Mulemya; and Hon.
Welcoming China’s move to open its market to African goods without tariffs, the Speaker called on local farmers and manufacturers to capture the new demand for coffee, fish, and processed commodities.
Zheng accepted an invitation to visit Uganda and extended a reciprocal invitation for Oboth to visit China, sealing closer legislative collaboration.
Accompanied by a parliamentary delegation—including Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, Hon. Betty Nakisita Mpongo, Hon. Sowedi Ismail Mulemya, and Hon. Annet Katusiime Mugisha—Oboth utilized the BRICS forum to position legislative diplomacy as a key driver for trade, tourism, and regional integration.
