Edward Ssekandi, vice-president of Uganda, was to be the keynote speaker at a business luncheon held at the Altadena Community Center yesterday, but arrived after the meeting broke up.

However, according to Okorie Ezieme of Ngok Global Consultants, as well as an Altadena town councilman, Ssekandi showed up just as the luncheon meeting was breaking up, but managed to talk to several of the businesspeople who were there to look at opportunities in Uganda.

Ezieme said that a couple of Altadena-based businesses managed to get one-on-one meetings with Ssekandi, which he hoped would translate into business opportunities.  Many of the businesspeople also made valuable connections with each other. 

The hastily-set-up Altadena luncheon went through several name permutations, but seemed to settle on "Building Strategic Partnerships in Emerging Markets: Opportunities in Uganda."  It was organized by Moses Katakanya of Ruach Social Enterprise.

Ezieme said that Ssekandi did invite everyone to where he was staying in Los Angeles and hosted a "nice dinner" afterwards.