Anita Rukundo Tayebwa, wife of Uganda’s Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, has been appointed Honorary Consul of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in Uganda, a role expected to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in tourism, trade, investment and private-sector business.

Tayebwa presented her Letters of Credence to Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Amb. Adonia Ayebare, at the Ministry’s offices in Kampala, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Following her appointment, Tayebwa pledged to promote stronger business links between Uganda and The Bahamas, with particular emphasis on tourism and connecting tourism operators from the two countries.

Her appointment comes as both Uganda and The Bahamas seek to expand the economic benefits of their tourism industries and explore opportunities for greater private-sector cooperation.

The Bahamas recorded 12.5 million visitors in 2025, according to the country’s Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation. The figure represented an 11.4 per cent increase from 2024 and was more than 70 per cent above the country’s 2019 pre-pandemic level.

Much of the growth was driven by cruise tourism, which accounted for more than 10.6 million sea arrivals. The country also recorded nearly 1.7 million international air arrivals and more than 1.8 million stopover visitors during the year.

Tayebwa pointed to the performance of the Bahamian tourism sector as an example of the potential that exists for greater cooperation between tourism businesses in the two countries.

Uganda also recorded significant growth in tourism in 2025. Figures from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities show that the country received 1,642,215 international tourist arrivals during the year and earned approximately US$1.62 billion from tourism.

The growth has reinforced tourism’s importance to Uganda as a source of foreign exchange, employment, investment and business opportunities.

An honorary consul serves as a representative of a foreign country in a host country and can help facilitate relations and promote the interests of the appointing country, particularly in areas such as commerce, tourism and cultural exchange.

Tayebwa’s new position is therefore expected to provide an additional channel for Ugandan and Bahamian businesses to establish contacts, explore investment opportunities and develop partnerships.

The appointment also follows earlier contacts between Tayebwa and Bahamian officials around Uganda’s hosting of the G77 and Non-Aligned Movement summits in 2024. Bahamian Ambassador and Director General Jerusa Léa Ali previously said the relationship that contributed to Tayebwa’s appointment was established during meetings held on the margins of those summits.

Uganda and The Bahamas are both members of the Commonwealth, providing an existing multilateral framework for engagement between the two countries.

While The Bahamas has built a large tourism economy around its Caribbean islands and cruise and air travel markets, Uganda is seeking to increase the value it derives from its growing tourism numbers by attracting more investment, extending visitor stays and expanding international markets.

The new honorary consular role could give businesses in both countries an opportunity to exchange expertise and identify partnerships in tourism while also opening discussions around trade, investment and other areas of private-sector cooperation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tayebwa’s appointment is expected to help step up investment, trade, tourism and broader business ties between Uganda and The Bahamas.

The appointment adds a new link between East Africa and the Caribbean as both countries continue to pursue opportunities for stronger economic and commercial relations.