Akon Eyes Some Land in Uganda for Infrastructure Deal

R&B artist Akon has yet to come anywhere close to realizing his ambitious vision for a “futuristic” city powered by a cryptocurrency called “Akoin” and built on land given to him by the Senegalese government. But that isn’t stopping the “Smack That” singer from making plans to build a second Akon City — this time in Uganda. The East African nation has agreed to identify “a place suitable in Uganda that has not less than one square mile, which will be made available to him and his team,” Isaac Musumba, Uganda’s minister for urban development, said at a news conference Monday. Akon will be in charge of attracting investment and managing the project, and will consult with the Ugandan government to come up with a theme for the “satellite city.” In a region starved of tourism, however, officials have been receptive to Akon’s promises to attract investment and create jobs. Last Friday, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni announced that he had played host to the singer, whose full name is Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam, and touted the country’s untapped potential as a vacation destination.

SOURCE: THE WASHINGTN POST