Uganda President, Gen. Kaguta Museveni has directed the Ministry of Tourism to market Uganda as the ‘Pearl of Africa’ at both locally and internationally in efforts to boost tourism.

President Yoweri Museveni addressing a press conference

A source that attended a meeting Museveni held with the Uganda tourism officials tells us that the president argued that the phrase would prevent other countries in Africa from using ‘Pearl of Africa.’

So far one of the countries in West Africa is trying to patent itself as the Pearl of Africa. There are contradictory messages on the brand name for Uganda. Some of the NRM cadres want to patent Uganda as a country ‘Gifted by Nature,’ others want it to be referred to as a country ‘Irresistible to visit.

But even if Museveni is the national chairperson of NRM, he wants to preserve Uganda’s historical patent of Uganda, ‘the pearl of Africa.’ This phrase was got from the former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill who was the first person in the world to refer to Uganda as the Pearl of Africa during his visit to Uganda and he was very pleased with Uganda’s location in East Africa, good manners of the people of Uganda and the country’s beautiful natural scenery.