Madhvani’s royal meeting
NIMISHA MADHVANI, the Ugandan high commissioner to the UK, last Thursday (10) presented her letters of credence as the African nation’s top diplomat in Britain to King Charles at Buckingham Palace in London (above).
The monarch, who took over following the death of his mother in September, has held the first ‘credentials’ presentations of his reign over the past few weeks.
Madhvani was appointed as Uganda’s high commissioner to the UK in December last year, and took charge in her new role in August.
Her appointment came around the time the Ugandan-Asian diaspora is celebrating the 50th anniversary of their move to Britain following their expulsion by dictator Idi Amin in 1972.
Born into a business family of Indianorigin which has made significant contributions to Uganda’s economic development, Madhvani herself had moved to the UK as a teenager at the time of the expulsions of the Ugandan-Asians.
She has had several postings around the world in her diplomatic career, including in the US, Asia, and Europe.
Madhvani’s appointment as the high commissioner to the UK was welcomed by a number of highprofile figures such as Lord Dolar Popat, who is the British prime minister’s trade envoy to Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He said Madhvani’s appointment would play a key role in strengthening relations between the UK and Uganda.
It also comes at a time when Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has invited Asians back to his country to help in its economic progress.
“I am eager to continue to build the UK’s future trade relationship with Uganda – and with Nimisha at the helm here in London, it will make that a reality,” Popat had said, adding, “Increased trade between the UK and Uganda will deliver more jobs, increased exports and technology transfers.”
Madhvani attended the funeral of the Queen in London in September, along with Ugandan foreign minister Jeje Odongo. She paid tribute to the late monarch, thanking her for the role she had played, alongside the British government, to welcome the Ugandan-Asians who were expelled by Amin in the 1970s.
Earlier this month, the Uganda high commissioner was present at an event hosted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the expulsions.