France Prioritizes Water& Energy Sector Funding in Uganda

The French government has invested 73.5 million euros in  the water treatment plant on Kagera River to ensure that people of Isingiro district, especially refugees at Nakivale camp can access clean drinking water.

French Ambassador to Uganda Xavier Sticker says once completed, the plant will provide water to 350,000 inhabitants of Isingiro.

Ambassador sticker was briefing the media about his government’s priority plans for Uganda this year.

“The plant will be delivered this year between the summer and the autumn. And with the subsequent work on the pipes, within less than two years it will provide drinking water to 350,000 inhabitants of the whole of Isingiro and refugees by the way" said Ambassador Sticker

The plan according to Ambassador Sticker is to go up to Mbarara and once completed   it will provide clean drinking water to a total of one million Ugandans.

This service is hoped to improve living standards of people in the area, especially refugees who have to trek long distances to collect water from sources, which is very dangerous for women and the girl child.

In the energy sector, the French Development Agency, together with the European Union, and the EU Investment bank is funding the rehabilitation of the Kiira-Nalubale dam electricity plant in Jinja along the banks of river Nile.

Ambassador sticker says the objective is to ensure that the dam realises its full potential production which is 380 megawatts of electricity

“That is also a game changer as Uganda is working hard on its industrialization transforming its natural resources in the country. So we are happy and privileged to be partners for Uganda on that” he states

France is also working on a project which will provide direct exposure to French learners in part contribution to Uganda’s education sector.

Under this arrangement the French government will be offering learners more resources in terms of scholarships and more opportunities for Ugandan students to visit French Universities and vice versa to improve their education.

It was revealed that up to 12 French universities will be visiting Uganda in the first week of the month of March in 2024.

“They will interact not only with the education system in Uganda but also the Ugandan universities to see how they can improve the curriculum and ensure that some French students can do part of their curriculum in Uganda, and that some of Ugandan students can do part of their curriculum in France” he averred.

Ambassador Xavier and his team pledged his government’s continued cooperation on values  especially women’s rights,  supporting rights defenders, refugees in the Nakivale and Kyangwali camps where through UNHCR, the embassy  has committed 900,000 euros to fund the salaries of 37 secondary school teachers.