Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a country in East-Central Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, shared with Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda is in the African Great Lakes region. Uganda also lies within the Nile basin, and has a varied but generally a modified equatorial climate.

Uganda takes its name from the Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a large portion of the south of the country, including the capital Kampala. Kampala is situated less than 40 kilometres from Entebbe International Airport.

Guiding in Uganda began in 1914 and has been a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Guides Scouts (WAGGGS) since 1984. Guiding in Uganda is in 112 districts, with a membership of over 386,984 members

The Uganda Girl Guides Association is delighted to receive the Members and honoured guests of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts at the 37th WAGGGS World Conference.

The resort is located in the neighbourhood of Munyonyo, in Makindye Division, in the south-eastern part of Kampala, along the northern shores of Lake Victoria, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world.

How to get to the venue

This location lies approximately 12 kilometres (7 miles), by road, southeast of Kampala's central business district.

The Resort is 40 kms by road from Entebbe Airport – the drive takes approximately 40 minutes

UGGA will be at Entebbe Airport on Saturday 11 July and Sunday 12 July to welcome participants and bring them to the Resort. We will also arrange transport for those returning to the airport on Saturday 18 July and Sunday 19 July. The cost of these transfers are included in your registration fee.

UGGA are pleased to offer a choice of four hotels at different price points for participants. You must book your own accommodation directly with the hotel. Accommodation is not included in the registration fee.

Accommodation is booked on a first come, first served basis. Please book early to secure your preferred option and ensure you have made a reservation before the 30 May 2020.

THE SPEKE RESORT CONFERENCE CENTRE MUNYONYO

Speke Resort and Conference Centre Munyonyo is a 5 Star Conference venue.
 

EKA HOTEL APARTMENTS

Eka Hotel Apartments are fully furnished and serviced Apartments with Conference facilities and Restaurant. It is within a short walk of the Conference venue (about 10 minutes).

THE MELEY IMPALA HOTEL

Meley Impala hotel is a 2 Star hotel located in Munyonyo, Kampala. It is within a short walk of the Conference venue (about 10 minutes).
 

SIR JOSE HOTEL

Sir Jose Hotel has an eight minutes’ drive of 3.0 kilometers from Speke Resort Munyonyo. A shuttle bus will be provided for participants staying here to travel to the Conference venue.

By air

All flights from outside the country land at Entebbe International Airport.

International Airlines include; Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Emirates Airlines, and Brussels Airlines. Inter-Africa airlines include; Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways, Egypt Air, Air Tanzania, Air Uganda, Kenya Airways, Rwandair Express, Fly 540, and Precision Airlines.

Direct flights are available from Brussels by Brussels Airlines, Instanbul by Turkish Airlines, and Amsterdam by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. There are direct flights from Doha by Qatar Airways, Dubai by Emirates Airlines. There are no direct flights from America but there are connections through code sharing airlines from Europe and South Africa. The only direct flights between Uganda and other African countries are; Ethiopian airlines to Addis Ababa, Egypt air to Cairo, Kenya Airways to Nairobi, Rwandair Express to Kigali, and South African Airways to Johannesburg.

 By road

The road transport network connecting other countries to Uganda is good for any visitor to reach the country. By road, buses such as, Jaguar, Gaagaa, Easy Coach, Modern Coast, and Baby Coaches run between Kampala to Nairobi, Bukoba, Dar-es-salaam, Kigali, Bujumbura and Juba. Beware prior booking for these services means that minute bookings may lead to you failing out to get a seat on the bus.

 By water

There is a regular inland ferry connecting Nakiwogo in Entebbe and the Ssese islands on Lake Victoria and one between Bukakata pier near Masaka town and Ssese islands on Kake Victoria. These islands are one of the most visited places in the country by both local and international visitors majorly for relaxation. The ferry from Nakiwogo leaves at around 1:30pm and leaves Ssese islands at 8:00am arriving at Nakiwogo at around 11:00am. Usually this journey takes about 3 hours on water.

TRANSPORT FROM THE AIRPORT

All four of the hotel choices are located near Kampala and are only a short transfer away. You will be met on arrival at the airport and transferred to the hotel.

In order to assist us, please wear the uniform or a Girl Guide/Girl Scout scarf for easy identification upon your arrival at the airport.

Please note that registration for the 37th World Conference will take place during the day at Speke Resort Munyonyo Hotel from Saturday 12 July 2020. Hours of registration will be communicated closer to the conference date.

VISA INFORMATION

Visitors to Uganda must have a valid visa in accordance with national immigration laws, guidelines and formalities. Uganda visas can now be obtained online at https://visas.immigration.go.ug 

The charge for a Ugandan visa start from USD 50.

The East Africa Tourist Visa will allow travel between Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda with the same multiple entry visa. This visa costs USD 100 and is valid for 90 days as long as one does not travel outside the partnering countries. You can apply for this at https://visas.immigration.go.ug

Please be aware that Ugandan visas become valid from the date of issue, and not from the date of travel. Please plan your visa application accordingly and do not apply before 20 April 2020. Please note that the duration of the visa is at the sole discretion of the Issuing Authority.

All travellers to the Repubic of Uganda must have a valid Yellow Fever Immunisation card.

HEALTH INFORMATION

We recommend you visit your doctor for advice regarding immunisations and medicine you should consider for the trip. Mosquitoes are present all year round and insect repellent, along with appropriate clothing to wear at dusk and dawn, are advisable

INSURANCE

It is the responsibility of the individual to ensure that they have adequate and appropriate insurance to cover: personal property, travel disruption, injury, medical expenses, general liability and life cover for the period of travel to, travel from and during the stay at the 37th World Conference. As an organisation, WAGGGS holds public/general liability insurance coverage that is reviewed regularly.

Neither UGGA nor WAGGGS can take responsibility for any medical, accident or personal property claims by World Conference participants (other than those that may fall under public liability). WAGGGS will also not be liable for travel costs in the event of cancellation of the event for any reason.

Uganda Girl Guides Association will be partnering with Kazinga Tours.

You can find the booking below and for more information contact Kazinga Tours for discounted rates using the booking code WOCO2020.

WANT TO ADD A KUSAFIRI WORLD CENTRE EXPERIENCE TO WORLD CONFERENCE?

'Kwantuni' - meaning 'traveller' in Akan (spoken in Southern and Central Ghana) will be hosted by Kusafiri World Centre in partnership with the Ghana Girl Guides Association from the 1st to the 7th of July 2020 at their training centre in Accra. This event is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture of Ghana and to learn about yourself and build your connection with others. 

The programme will include a visit to a local Girl Guide group where you will be a part of their amazing community action work. You will experience the rich culture of Ghana through activities including dance, music, art and learning about traditional herbal medicine. You will connect with a local family and see first-hand what life is like in Accra. There will also be time for a day to explore outside of the city. You will experience the spirit of World Centres through the international evening, opening and closing ceremonies and campfire.

You could even work with our local agent to explore the amazing country of Ghana before traveling on to World Conference which starts the following week.  

WAGGGS and The Ghana Girl Guides Association look forward to welcoming you to your "Kwuantuni" experience in Ghana, the gate way to Africa.

This event is open to all members of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Associations aged 18+, with the support of their International Commissioner.

Cost:    £900 shared dorm accommodation

               £1,200 limited twin share accommodation

Enquiries: jen.barron@wagggs.org 

MONEY

ATMs are available at Entebbe International Airport and at the Conference Venue.

The airport and conference venue provide currency exchange on-site, please speak to a staff member at reception.

When changing money, it can be helpful to ask for some notes of lower denominations to pay for small costs as people will not always have change and you may end up paying too much. It is important to check that notes are not ripped or damaged as people will refuse to accept them. Banks will exchange dirty or torn notes for new ones.

Major credit/debit cards can be used to pay for most goods and services.

CHILDCARE

Private babysitting at the hotel will be available on request. Please contact directly with the Conference venue as soon as possible if you require assistance with arranging childcare.

COMMUNICATION

At the World Conference we welcome our friends from all over the world and this means that many people will be speaking and working in their second, third or fourth language. We ask everybody to make an effort to speak clearly and slowly. At any time, please feel free to ask people to slow down or to repeat anything you did not understand.

INTERNET & SIM CARDS

All bedrooms have complimentary internet access.  There is also Wi-Fi access throughout the conference meeting rooms.

You can as well purchase a sim card at the Conference venue on arrival. You are required to register the card with your passport.

SECURITY

Whilst the Conference rooms are secure, please note that there will be other groups and individuals using the hotel and accommodation facilities. All Conference participants should ensure they assist Hotel staff by wearing their name badges at all times

SMOKING

All rooms reserved in the hotel are non-smoking rooms. Within the hotel there are designated smoking areas. In Uganda, it is generally considered inappropriate for women to smoke in public, so please bear this in mind for the duration of your trip

ELECTRICITY

In Uganda plugs are a standard three-pin square. Please ensure you bring a travel adapter if required.

WEATHER

Uganda is sunny most of the year with temperatures rarely rising above 29 degrees (84 degrees Fahrenheit). The average annual temperature is about 26 degrees Celsius (78° Fahrenheit). The rainy season is from March -May and October -November.

DATA PROTECTION

WAGGGS and UGGA will process and hold your personal data (as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998) for the purposes of the 37th World Conference.

WAGGGS would like to keep you informed of other events and fundraising activities of the organisation.

If you would prefer not to be contacted for this purpose, please let us know at woco@wagggs.org 

DRESS CODE

It is expected that Conference participants will wear uniform for all Conference sessions.

National dress is encouraged at the International Night and World Market.

Participants are also asked to wear the uniform or a Girl Guide/Girl Scout scarf for easy identification upon arrival at the airport.