The National Library of Uganda has won the bid to host the 23rd Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Library Information Association.
SCECSAL is a regional forum for library and information associations in the Sub-Saharan Africa.
Uganda competed with 28 countries to host the conference. The contestants where; Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Congo Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
According to Gertrude Kayaga Mulidwa, the Director National Library of Uganda, the competition was tight but Uganda had an edge in the library and information sector and won.
“The robust library and information sector in Uganda coupled with a vibrate culture and steady political environment are some of the reasons Uganda won the bid to host 28 countries,” Kayaga told reporters in Kampala today.
About 400 delegates will converge in Uganda from 23rd to 28th April 2018 for the Conference.
“We expect this conference to have economic impacts on local businesses including hotels, the tour companies, transport, and entertainment sectors,” she said.
The conference will be running under the theme ‘Positioning library and information services to achieve sustainable development ;innovations and partnerships’ which is a response to the United Nations call to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and property.