Ugandans Kick Off Fall with Lively Conventions in the U.S.
This week, many Ugandans across North America probably need a few days to recover from diverse conventions and meet-ups for the diaspora that took place last weekend. More than a thousand Ugandans and their friends traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the Uganda North America Association’s (UNAA) twenty-second annual convention, this time held at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center near Washington, D.C. Other meet-ups and conventions were held in other parts of D.C., New Jersey, and Boston.
Many Ugandans enjoyed conventions last weekend in the United States. Ronnie Mayanja, UNAA Times.
The 26th UNAA Convention reached record levels of both convention registrations and hotel room reservations, according to the organization. During the convention, after the day’s festivities would end, Ugandans filled hotel rooms, playing music, dancing and drinking until 6 a.m. in the morning– or later. They enjoyed a wide range of music from home– Navio, Iryn Namubiru, Moze Radio and Weasel, as well as many Ugandan-American DJs eager to spin up the freshest tunes from home.
The Nnabagereka canceled her keynote address about the Uganda Cancer Research Foundation at the conference, disappointing many Ugandans who had traveled to see her. However, some conference attendees were lucky enough to see President Barack Obama’s paternal aunt Zeituni Onyango, who attended UNAA. Onyango, who Obama fans will remember from the president’s memoir as Auntie Zeituni, lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
Those in the diaspora wishing to invest more of their resources in their homeland also enjoyed a trade and investment forum on the first day of the convention. Professor Perezi Kamunanwire, Uganda’s ambassador to the United States, and UNAA President Moses Wilson kicked off the forum, and spoke about the role that Ugandans living abroad had in promoting trade opportunities back home.
Michelle Kennedy, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, made a presentation on potential agricultural trading opportunities. Kennedy said that migrant communities often import a lot of food from home, particularly from Asian and South American countries, but that African migrants have not fully tapped into this potential opportunity.
Iryn Namubiru, performing in Washington, D.C. Photograph: DJ Clein, from the UNAA Convention.
On Friday, the second day of the convention, UNAA opened up a political forum all day, and a masters arts exhibition was also displayed. Participants debated different systems of government for Uganda: federalism, unitary, and regional. Dr. Munini Mulera, former vice-president of the International Community of the Banyakigezi, moderated the discussion.
Saturday was one of the most festive days of UNAA. Participants enjoyed a cruise on the National Harbour, where Radio and Weasel performed, as well as Ronald Mayinja. After the cruise, in the hotel’s main ballroom, Iryn Namubiru and Mayinja delighted their fans with their energy and rich voices.
On Sunday, some in the convention took bus tours of Washington, D.C., while others took the time to recuperate from late night dancing and catching up on Saturday ngiht. Participants listened to a jazz band while enjoying a UNAA dinner in the main ballroom after the convention’s closing ceremony. The evening closed with concerts by Radio and Weasel and Navio.
“I’m here to learn and experience the convention,” Navio told Ugandans Abroad before his performance on Sunday night. “Everyone is here to cut loose. People are here to be patriotic, [to] appreciate our culture, and show unity.”
Some Ugandans living abroad also traveled this weekend to Boston for the Uganda Development and American Association’s networking convention, held at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel. The convention included forums on business and immigration, as well as a talent show and boat cruise.
Geoffrey “Simple” Nsereko of Radio Uganda Boston, a partner of Ugandans Abroad, attended UADA and was disappointed by the turnout, which he estimated was about ninety people. “Despite the fact that the turn-up was low, this did not hinder the immigration forum to go ahead, and it was really a very informative discussion about immigration law and our rights,” said Nnsereko. “I wish there had been better attendance. At the end of the day, there were more people for fun than for knowledge.”
During the same weekend, Ttabamiruka, a convention held to assess Buganda’s cultural strengths, opportunities, and challenges, was also held in the Hilton Hotel in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Ggwangamujje NY/NJ organized the event. Gwangamujje was formed in Boston in 1993 to create a forum in which Baganda living abroad could promote Ganda culture within their families, as well as support the Kabaka in their homeland.
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