The Republic of Namibia has appointed Ugandan billionaire businessman, Godfrey Kalule Kirumira as its Honorary Consul to Uganda.
A Consul in foreign service and foreign relations is a person who is commissioned by a state to represent and or service the commercial interests of the appointing country in the country that the appointee resides. The Consul also offer consular services and any other such routine functions as issuing visas and or renewing passports.
Mr. Kirumira, who travelled to the Southern Africa country, received his appointment credentials from Mrs Mario Munwela, the Chief Foreign Relations Officer at Namibia’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation on 24th April 2022.
Kirumira is the Chairman of GKK Group of Companies a conglomerate with diverse interests in agriculture produce, petroleum, hospitality, real estate, transport and logistics as well as security and forex trading.
Some of the Group companies include Bargary Company Limited which deals in fuel distribution under the brand name, Gelp.
Some of his real estate properties include Kirumira Towers and Royale Complex. In the hospitality business, he owns and runs Muyenga Hotel (formerly known as Hotel International), Royale Havana and Hotel Havana.
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His other businesses include Royale Cash Forex, Money Point Forex, KPI Security Company, and BTC Transporters. He is also the proprietor of Premium Commodities which deals in maize and beans. He is the leading importer of bales of second-hand clothes and the brains behind Nabugabo Updeal Venture Limited, a sanitation company.
Many in his circles call him Chairman. And indeed, he is the chairman of Kwagalana Group, a closed club of wealthy Ugandans that he founded in 2002. Some of the billionaire members include Gaster Lule, Sudhir Ruparelia, John Yiga, Dr Sarah Nkonge, and William Kajoba among many others.
He is also the chairman of the Landlords Association of Kampala as well as a Patron of the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA).
He owns two schools St Mary’s Junior School, Nabbingo and Bright Future Secondary School Bwebajja. The school is a non-profit initiative.
Although with a smaller GDP than Uganda’s⏤ USD12.3 billion versus Uganda’s USD40.5 billion in 2021, a small population of just less than 3 million people gives Namibi a GDP per capita edge (USD 8,900) over Uganda (USD 884). The mineral-rich Namibia which is one of the world’s largest raw diamonds exporter, among many other minerals, is a big-time importer of grain, especially wheat, maize and millet. With a GDP of USD8,900 ⏤ 10 times that of Uganda, and a big-time importer of grains, the appointment of Godfrey Kirumira, himself a big-time trader in grains, portends big potential for Ugandan agriculture exports.
