The Senior Presidential Advisor on Diaspora Affairs, Amb. Abbey Walusimbi has called upon all Ugandans to take part and play an active role in mitigating climate change effects that have affected the entire universe.
The Ambassador made the wake-up call while officiating at the crowning ceremony of the 2021 Miss Earth Uganda organised at Nyaika Hotel in Fort portal City.
The event which saw a number of dignitaries in attendance including; the Queen Mother of Tooro Kingdom, Best Kemigisha as a Chief Guest, Fort portal City Resident City Commissioner, Rodgers Mbabazi among others was organised under the theme; Role of Technology in Sustainability and Inclusive Development.
Amb. Walusimbi said that it is the responsibility of everyone living under the Earth to nurture and protect the environment and wildlife.
The Ambassador said that, “Mother earth has blessed us with a lot of features that make our lives worthy living including food, fruits, water, accommodation in a sense that whatever we use to make our lives worthy living has at some point been extracted from the beautiful earth that Allah has given us as an abode.”
Amb. Walusimbi appreciated President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for championing the preservation of the environment and mitigation of climate change effects.
“H.E the President has on many occasions reminded us of our duty to earth and I thank him for not just speaking but putting in action what he says by birthing initiatives to help preserve mother earth. In 2018 our country was the first in Africa to develop and endorse its Nationally Determined Contribution Partnership Plan (NDC-PP).
He said that the country has made key commitments in this regard including; reducing national greenhouse gas emissions by 22% by 2030, reducing climate vulnerability of climate sensitive sectors since our economy is natural resource based, and building climate resilience of key sectors and managing disaster risks.
During the event, Mis. Ahlam Ismail was crowned the 2021 Miss Earth Uganda and will represent the country for the forthcoming Miss Earth International beauty pageant.
Walusimbi congratulated Miss Ahlam upon her victory and promised that his office and Ugandans living in the Diaspora will stand with her to ensure that she performs according to her new role.
“As we congratulate you, we also have a duty to remind you of the responsibilities that come with the MISS Earth Crown. Your beauty has only been possible because of the nourishments you get from the gifts of Mother earth. You are not just a beauty queen but also an ambassador of not only the environment but our country’s culture,” Walusimbi noted.
The Queen Mother, Best Kemigisha who presided over the crowning ceremony expressed gratitude to the organisers for choosing to host the event in Tooro Kingdom and congratulated all the participants for taking part in the beauty pageant.
“I am pleased to officiate at the crowning of Miss Earth in Tooro Kingdom. Congratulations to Miss Ahlam Ismail who is the new Miss Earth Uganda. I urge you to promote environmental conservation for the benefit of the current and future generations,” Kemigisha said.