Uganda, which faced intense human rights pressure over its tough anti-gay law, has inked a one-year $600K contract with Mercury Public Affairs to promote trade and investment.
The African nation took heat from the Obama Administration and the western donor community over its controversial Anti-Homosexuality Act passed in February.
When signing the bill that made homosexual acts punishable by life in prison into law, Uganda President Yoweri Museveni told CNN gay people are "disgusting." He called homosexuality "unnatural" and not a human right.
Uganda's Constitutional Court repealed the measure Aug. 1, just in time for Museveni's trip to DC to attend the US-Africa Summit this week.
Mercury is promoting the "Ugandan Enterprise Empowerment Initiative," which is designed to strengthen its companies "to participate in investor supply chains to generate jobs and expand incomes," according to its contract.
The Omnicom unit will manage and monitor global media coverage of it and Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for 28 years.
It will categorize stories in areas such as human rights, culture, health, good governance, etc.
Mercury will issue weekly and monthly reports on "items making the news" to Uganda's State House press unit in Kampala.
Edelman and rapper Pharrell Williams have launched Mighty Dream as a creative advocacy shop to serve communities of color.
WPP plans to launch an investment promotion campaign to spur economic development in war-ravaged Ukraine.
WPP has partnered with the Black Equity Organisation, which launched May 24, to advance equal opportunity and justice for Black people in the UK.
The Michigan Economic Development Corp. has selected Finn Partners after a competitive pitch to promote The Wolverine State as a world-class business location and a great place to visit.
Prime Policy Group represents Puerto Rico’s Senate as it pushes for a broad range of economic development issues in Washington.
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