Overview
Uganda is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region with almost 50 million inhabitants. The country has recently achieved considerable progress towards reducing the share of the population living in poverty.
Our partnership
The EU is working with Uganda the country’s green transition, the growth of sustainable and inclusive jobs and investment, as well as a stronger democratic governance that promotes social inclusion and human rights. This support is aligned with the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy.
Team Europe in Uganda brings together Belgium, Germany, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands and Sweden. Together, we stand by Uganda to help address key challenges such as: consolidating democracy; removing gender, regional and other inequalities; extending the protection of basic human, social and economic rights to all Ugandans; and removing barriers to sustainable economic growth.
The cooperation for the 2021-2027 period amounts to €539 million.
EU-Uganda partnership documents can be found in the ‘Related documents’ section below.
Our key initiatives
- Developing agriculture and critical raw materials value chains
Together with Uganda, we are working to develop key value chains and support sustainable livelihoods. Actions include:
- Supporting the coffee, cocoa, and horticulture sectors by improving the climate resilience of smallholder farmers and their access to markets.
- Enhancing investment conditions and the formalisation of small-scale mining, mineral processing, and other activities within the critical raw materials value chain.
- Providing technical assistance to Uganda’s geological surveys to support sustainable resource management.
- Sustainable business for Uganda
The EU is strengthening trade and investment relations with Uganda through the Sustainable Business for Uganda (SB4U) platform. This involves:
- Facilitating high-level public-private dialogue on trade and investment priorities.
- Expanding access to finance and development services for inclusive, green small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in agrifood and forestry.
- Promoting human rights and environmental compliance in business operations.
- Demography and social inclusion
Working with Uganda, the EU supports inclusive education and youth empowerment by:
- Removing financial barriers to education and expanding learning opportunities for children at risk of dropping out.
- Supporting continuous development for secondary school teachers and inclusive school management.
- Investing in vocational skills and job opportunities for youth, particularly in green and digital sectors.
- Promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights, with a focus on preventing teenage pregnancy and eliminating violence against women and girls.
- Renewable energy
Together, we are advancing Uganda’s energy transition by:
- Contributing to the rehabilitation of the Nalubaale-Kiira Hydropower plant.
- Expanding access to renewable energy for households and businesses.
- Supporting rural electrification through private sector operators.
- Rolling out 120 mini-grids under the GET Access programme.
- Supporting regional connectivity through cross-border energy links with Tanzania, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
- Productive infrastructure
The EU is helping improve Uganda’s transport and trade infrastructure through:
- Upgrading the Atiak–Laropi road in northern Uganda.
- Enhancing urban infrastructure and lighting in Kampala.
- Supporting development of rail, road, and water transport systems.
- Rehabilitating Port Bell into a green port to increase cargo transport.
- Developing a strategic trade corridor with South Sudan and strengthening cross-border infrastructure with the DRC.
- Forest partnership
Together with Uganda, we are addressing the root causes of deforestation while promoting sustainable economic alternatives. This includes:
- Supporting sustainable tourism value chains.
- Promoting alternative energy sources in refugee-hosting districts.
- Expanding access to inclusive finance for green SMEs.
- Refugees and humanitarian response
The EU supports Uganda’s efforts to provide protection and basic services for refugees by:
- Improving water supply and sanitation for both refugee and host communities.
- Expanding access to education and sexual and reproductive health services in refugee settlements.
- Reducing sexual and gender-based violence and supporting rights awareness.
- Strengthening national systems for migration management and public service delivery, including through the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.
- Digital
The EU is also directly supporting Uganda’s digital and telecom development. This includes:
- Constructing new telecom infrastructure and digital connectivity projects,
- Supporting eCommerce, ePayment systems, cybersecurity, and eGovernance.
- Governance and human rights
Working with Uganda to promote democratic governance and human rights, our common efforts focus on building accountability and civic engagement by:
- Supporting anti-corruption and social accountability programmes to strengthen public institutions.
- Empowering civil society, youth, and human rights defenders to participate in decision-making and democratic oversight.
- Promoting human rights, with a focus on protecting marginalised groups, reducing child labour, and advancing the rights of LGBTIQ persons.