KAMPALA — Kanye West and Kim Kardashian gave Uganda’s leader a pair of the rapper’s sneakers on Monday and he gave them both “Ugandan” names, at a meeting aimed at promoting tourism in East Africa.

West presented Yoweri Museveni with a pair of white sports shoes made by his own company that he and Kardashian then signed with a marker pen. Museveni’s office said the president gave the US entertainment stars Ugandan names. He dubbed West — who himself declared last month that he wanted to be known as just “Ye” — “Kanyesigye”, a common name among the Banyankore, the ethnic group that Museveni hails from. Kardashian was granted the name “Kemigisha”, meaning “the one with blessings from God,” Museveni’s office said in a statement.

West “expressed happiness at being in Uganda, describing it as his second home,” the statement said, adding that West pledged to put up a “world class tourism school in the country saying it will be a foundation of tourism not only in Uganda but the East Africa region in general.” — Reuters