The Presidential Press Secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny, says President Salva Kiir will not be attending the summit on refugees in Kampala tomorrow [Thursday], but will instead delegate the Vice President.

The two days Uganda Solidarity Summit on Refugees is being convened and jointly hosted by President Yoweri Museveni and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutierrez.

It will be attended by approximately 500 stakeholders such as Heads of government, UN, international financial institutions, international and regional organizations, NGOs, private sector, civil society, and academia.

The Participants will hear directly from refugees and host community representatives, and receive feedback from the field missions in northern Uganda, where South Sudanese refugees are mostly situated.

The leaders of Uganda, South Sudan and other high-profile speakers are expected to deliver keynote speeches on the need to set the stage for pledges of solidarity with refugees and host communities.

Leaders from countries with refugees in Uganda, such as South Sudan and other selected participants will also make field visits to refugee-hosting districts and refugee settlements in the West Nile region.

The summit will begin tomorrow [Thursday] in Kampala.

The agenda of the summit is expected to be dominated by the influx of South Sudanese into refugee camps in Uganda.

This week, rights group said Uganda is experiencing large and rapid influx of refugees from South Sudan despite the lack of sufficient funds to enable the government of Uganda, UN agencies, and NGOs to respond to their needs.

Amnesty International said there is a large number of refugees over the age of 60 with chronic health conditions, and persons with disabilities living in camps in Uganda.

Despite the function being hosted by President Museveni and attended by high-profile leaders, President Salva Kiir will not travel to Kampala for the summit.

According to his Press Secretary, Ateny Wek, the President has delegated Vice President, Dr. James Wani Igga to attend.

“Vice President James Wani Igga will be the one traveling on behalf of the President. So he will be attending the refugee conference,” Ateny said.

He said President Kiir has commitments back in the country that has made him not to travel. Mr. Ateny could not elaborate on it.

“[The] delegation will include ministers that are dealing with humanitarian and refugees [issues],” he added.

This is the second summit on issues of concern to South Sudan that has been conducted without President Salva Kiir.

Last week, he delegated First Vice President Taban Deng Gai to attend the Extraordinary summit of the IGAD Heads of state in Addis Ababa.

Uganda Solidarity Summit on Refugees aims to raise 2billion US dollars.

This week, Amnesty International urged the international community to redouble their efforts in providing funds for South Sudanese refugees in Uganda.

In a statement issued last week, the organization says the UN agencies are struggling to support majority of South Sudanese women headed households, and also a large number of unaccompanied or separated children, who are either living with foster families or on their own in a settlement camps.