Ireland and Uganda have similar "national personalities" due to a "shared legacy of colonial domination and marginalisation", the President, Mrs McAleese, said in Kampala last night at the start of an 11-day visit to east Africa.
The President was speaking at a dinner hosted by President Yoweri Museveni, who welcomed her earlier in the day at Entebbe airport. She was also received by the Irish chargΘ d'affaires, Mr Mairt∅n O'Fain∅n, and representatives of the Ugandan army, police and foreign diplomatic corps.
Mrs McAleese arrived in a chartered Boeing jet and was accompanied by her husband, Dr Martin McAleese, the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell, and her aide-de-camp, Col Brian O'Reilly.
The main focus of the trip is on paying tribute to the contribution of Irish missionaries to Uganda and Kenya, which the President described as being "as extensive as it is remarkable". "No one forced them to come here," she said, "No law except the law of love."
There are nearly 40 Irish Catholic missionaries in Uganda, a fraction of the numbers of the 1960s and 1970s. Many of the Irish missionaries in east Africa are nearing retirement due to the severe slump in religious vocations at home. Despite the decline, their work "continues in the hands and hearts of many other people whom they introduced to this noble humanitarian endeavour", she said.
The President will visit Irish-funded Aids homes and development projects in Uganda over the next five days before flying to Kenya for a four-day visit.
She will have the free use of President Museveni's personal helicopter for two days of the Ugandan leg of the tour.
On Wednesday, Mrs McAleese will travel to Nkokonjeru on the shores of Lake Victoria to visit the grave of Mother Kevin, the Irish founder of the Little Sisters of St Francis order. She will also visit the Church of Ireland-sponsored Besaniya children's home, which is largely funded from Northern Ireland.
The President will see projects sponsored by Irish Aid, the Government's bilateral aid programme. In September 2000 the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, promised to boost Irish development aid by £600 million by 2007.
This week's trip comes almost a year to the day after President Museveni paid a State visit to Ireland. In her speech last night the President spoke of the "special partnership" between Ireland and Uganda, which is one of the Government's six priority recipients of bilateral aid.
Irish aid to Uganda has risen dramatically in recent years and is projected to reach £28 million for 2002.
Mrs McAleese praised Uganda's strong economic growth rates of the last decade. She looked forward to a day when the Asian and Celtic "Tiger" economies would be joined by an "African Lion" economy.
The President also mentioned Uganda's involvement in the war in neighbouring Congo, which was partly instigated by President Museveni in 1998 and has dulled his international reputation as a leading African statesman.
In his speech, President Museveni said the ADF rebels, whose attempt to topple him sparked his involvement in the Congo, had been trained by Osama bin Laden in Sudan, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
He called on the Irish to invest in tourism in Uganda and help set up a business innovation centre similar to one he saw in Galway during his Irish visit.
President Museveni has been criticised for corruption within his government. Nevertheless most Western diplomats see Uganda, which escaped the despotism of Idi Amin and Milton Obote only 15 years ago, as a progressive African nation.
An Irish embassy is being built in Kampala. President McAleese said last night it marked a long-term commitment to partnership and friendship between the two countries.