The Minister attached to the Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs responsible for Cooperation, Mr. Henri de Raincourt, visited Uganda last December 8 and 9, during a three days’ visit to the East African region, which also covered Kenya and Tanzania. M. de Raincourt met with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
He also met and held discussions with the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Maria Kiwanuka. The two ministers talked about issues regarding the Franco-Ugandan bilateral development cooperation.
The French Minister renewed the French commitment in Uganda, especially in the field of water, energy and support to the private sector through the financing granted by the French Development Agency (AFD). Minister de Raincourt noted that the French desire to increase funding to Uganda in line with the country’s expectations, especially for projects of power transmission lines of Masaka-Mbarara and Hoima-Nkenda and an expansion of irrigation interventions and the water sector in general (press release)
The Minister started his visit to Uganda with a visit to Bujagali Dam, which France is one of the first donors through the AFD and its subsidiary Proparco. In addition to funding provided for the dam, AFD supported on giving, environmental and social projects, which allowed access to drinking water and electricity for the surrounding population and the planting of fruit trees on the banks of the Nile. The Minister was accompanied by the Ugandan Minister of State for Energy, Simon D’Ujanga. The latter was able to discuss with him the next startup of the first turbine with a capacity of 50MW, highly anticipated in Uganda.
For more information on financing the Bujagali dam in France
The delegation of the Minister wife also visited Kakira sugar works in the region of Jinja. Hosted by its President, Nitin Mahdvani. Mrs de Raincourt was presented with the challenges of growing sugar cane. Uganda is a major producer of sugar, part of which is exported, mainly to Kenya and South Sudan. The need for sugar is steadily increasing (Ugandan demand is doubling every seven years), hence the need to increase production. Besides the production of sugar, Kakira produces energy (12MW) cogeneration, part of which feeds the sugar refinery and the rest is sold in Kenya. Kakira recently invested to increase its energy production capacity and reach 40 MW, some of which shall be connected to Uganda.
At a cocktail party on Thursday night for the French community, the Cooperation Minister praised the contribution to the development of Uganda made by some 350 French residents. (To read the Minister’s speech to the French community link, in french).
A visit to the Alliance Française de Kampala allowed the delegation to visit a photographic exhibition on the traditions of the region of Busoga Uganda carried out by a French photographer Vincent Kienzle and a German linguist Marilena Thanasoula. A show of "Breakdance" was also presented by the troupe Breakdance Project Uganda, an association whose aim is to promote social responsibility and to build capacity for autonomy and leadership among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. From Kampala Minister de Raincourt proceeded to Kenya and later Tanzania.
