China –Africa: Meetings in Nairobi and Kampala in November

From Left to right: Mr. Jun Han, Ms. Tori Tveit, Mr. Han Chunlin and Ms. Jacqueline Mugo

NHO visited Uganda and Kenya earlier last month as a follow up to their work on the cooperation between The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO), the Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE) and China Enterprise Confederation (CEC). The agenda for the trip was to follow up on the already existing cooperation in Uganda and also to explore possibilities for further cooperation between the Chinese business community based in Kenya, Kenya Federation of Employers (FKE), CEC and (NHO), as well as to introduce the women leadership development project Female Future in Kenya.

NHO visited Uganda and Kenya earlier last month as a follow up to their work on the cooperation between The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO), the Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE) and China Enterprise Confederation (CEC). The agenda for the trip was to follow up on the already existing cooperation in Uganda and also to explore possibilities for further cooperation between the Chinese business community based in Kenya, Kenya Federation of Employers (FKE), CEC and (NHO), as well as to introduce the women leadership development project Female Future in Kenya.

In Uganda important meetings were held between NHO and FUE where plans and activities for next year were discussed. NHO met with the Norwegian embassy where new plans for the Private Sector Development (PSD) activities were presented. The change of focus on the forthcoming activities was highlighted and commitment to the proposed newsletter was pledged. .

The embassy informed that there would be plans for an official visit to Norway from Uganda by the Ugandan ministers of Finance and Energy & Mineral Development during the first half of 2012.The meeting was also informed of the forthcoming business delegation visit to Rwanda on the 19th and 20th of January 2012 . NHO will be represented by Mr. Christopher Ssewagudde the NHO PSD coordinator in Uganda and Mr. Leif Dons the NHO program leader in this meeting.

NHO and Kenya Overseas Chinese Association met to exchange information and to discuss possible cooperation in Kenya. Mr. Jun Han, the Chairman of Kenya Overseas Chinese Association as well as China Council for Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification in Kenya presented his organization to the meeting. The organization is strong and unified and engages in different activities such as the publication of the Daily Business Newsletter published in Chinese, see attached article below.

Mr Jun and his organization expressed interest in a cooperation with FKE, NHO and CEC. The plans for cooperation were endorsed by the Embassy of China in Kenya. During the meeting it emerged that there are 10 000 Chinese resident in Kenya and the Chinese companies found in Kenya are bigger than those in Uganda. The business community showed interest and engagement in cooperating and membership of FKE. Mr. Han Chunlin, who is the Economic and Commercial counsellor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China also attended the meeting and was very positive to the cooperation.

Ms. Tori Tveit the director of the NHO Secretariat for Private Sector Development also met with Ms. Jacqueline Mugo the executive director of FKE to discuss the China-Africa program in Kenya as well as the Female Future project. Ms Mugo expressed interest in the program and suggested a Kenyan ladies delegation would visit Norway next autumn. The tentative schedule for next year for the China- Africa project was also agreed upon. Activities will take place in the months of March, April, August and November 2012.

Article on the joint meeting / Voice of Africa No. 1379