At the event, held at Sheraton Hotel, Kampala (Lake Room), the Hon. Minister applauded PRAU for being a strong association in Uganda and promised to support PRAU in tabling a draft bill for statutory recognition.

He also stated that PR was important in the brand building of several businesses and therefore the association was doing the right thing in promoting the profession in Uganda.

Finally, Hon. Minister tasked the new Governing Council to set up a permanent home for the association and organize a fundraising event where partners and sponsors would commit their support in helping build a PRAU Headquarters.

The new Governing Council was elected during the Association’s 41st Annual General Meeting, held on Saturday 1st September 2018 at Fairway Hotel in Kampala.

Ms. Sarah Kagingo, Managing Director of Soft Power Communications LLC, who was sworn in as President, promised to lead the new Governing Council to pursue statutory recognition, improve media and external stakeholder relations, form strategic alliances with PRAU’s sister associations, champion the formation of a fully functional secretariat, increase membership of the association, get a PRAU permanent home, among others.

Other officials who were sworn in included Eddie Oketcho as Secretary General; Sheila Naturinda Deputy Secretary-General; Charles Nsamba, Treasurer; Sumin Namaganda as Director of Programmes; Alfred Geresom Musamali as Director of Discipline; Kezia Koburungi and Roland Ssebuliba as the new student representatives.

The PRAU Vice President, Valery Okecho and PRAU Director PR, Simon Kasyate were absent with apologies.

The Public Relations Association of Uganda (PRAU) is the umbrella public relations body of Uganda having been set up to uplift the standards in and promote the public relations profession in the country. Membership is open to all PR and communications practitioners, business enterprises, SMEs, government bodies, PR agencies, NGO’s, students pursuing PR related courses and in-house PR departments.

The show however, features a lot more. It will be a cultural festival, where all tribes and cultures from the west will be represented through music and cultural drinks and other forms of entertainment. According to Paul Edyau, MD of Legends Ventures and Marketing Agency, the organizers of the Mega Fest, the lineup is being led by diva and dance hall queen; Cindy Sanyu, Vampiino, Washington, comedian Swengere and the best comedy export from the East, Emma Napoleone.

“The event will be about three aspects. It will be an avenue for OB’s and OG’s from all the traditional schools in the East to meet up and network. People from schools like Mwirri College, Butiki, Jinja College, Ngora SS, Nabumali SS, Namasagali, Tororo Girls, Teso College and many more will reunite at the festival. Secondly, it will be a chance for everyone in the East to share culture. A reason traditional performances are being prepared to the same cause. Expect a lot of Embaile, Kadodi Drums, Adungu, Malwa, Millet, among a panoply of things that symbolize the different tribes in the East. It will also be a platform for domestic tourism promotion, “ relayed Edyau.