By Conan Businge

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has been awarded a second honourary doctorate by Faith University of Turkey. The degree is in recognition for his contribution to the development of political and commercial relations between Turkey and Uganda.
This would have been Museveni’s third honourary degree.

He received the first one in divinity from the Latin University of Theology based in California, in the US in 2006. It was in recognition and appreciation of Museveni’s efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the elevation of education in Uganda.

He was slated to receive another honorary doctorate in Law from Makerere University early this year. But the ceremony was postponed, following the demise of Rashid Mfaume Kawawa, a former Tanzanian prime minister, who was supposed to be with him at the ceremony.

The doctorate is the highest honour offered to people who do great things for humanity.

Prof. Dr. Rqit Ozkanca, the rector of the university, said the decision to honour President Museveni was reached by the senate to recognise his success in promoting international relations.

The ceremony was attended by the deputy prime minister of Turkey, Bilent Aring, and the president of the Turkish business community, Rizanur Meral.

It was hosted by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists at the Rixos Hotel in Ankara, in Turkey.

Museveni, who was the chief guest, commended the confederation for promoting trade with Africa. He called upon investors to exploit opportunities in agro-processing, manufacturing, and steel and ferterliser production.

Museveni said Uganda has big prospects for good business, according to a State House statement.

“Uganda has most of these enterprises already. We have agriculture, manufacturing, and good hotels. But, the infrastructure needs to be expanded,” he said.

The President said Uganda has negotiated third party markets like the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) in the USA. Other market opportunities are in China, India, Japan and the European Union.

Museveni appealed to Turkish companies to look into infrastructure investment and explore steel industry production.

“We have vast deposits of phosphates. As our population grows, so does the agro-business and the need for fertilisers,” he said.

Museveni expressed interest to do more business with Turkey, saying it had a big economy, good location and linkages to Asia and Europe.