News

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a two-day visit to Uganda – the first bilateral tour by an Indian prime minister since 1997.

MOU’s:

List of MoUs signed between India and Uganda are

• MoU on Defence Cooperation
• MoU on Visa exemption for Diplomatic and official passport holders.
• MoU on Cultural Exchange Programme.
• MoU on Material Testing Laboratory

Areas of Engagement

PM Modi announced several areas of engagement with Uganda. These included

• Two Lines of Credits for construction of electricity lines and Substations worth US$141 million.
• Agriculture and Dairy production US $ 64 million.
• India’s contribution for establishment of Mahatma Gandhi Convention/Heritage centre at Jinja where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed in the Nile.
• Training of Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) in various Indian Army training institutions as well as the deployment of Indian Military Training Team in Uganda’s Senior Command and Staff College (SCSC) in Kimaka.
• Keeping in mind Uganda’s role in East Africa, Prime Minister also announced a financial support of US $ 929,705 for East African Community (EAC) which is currently chaired by Uganda.
• India also announced donation of 88 vehicles, 44 each for the Ugandan Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) and for the civil use by the Ugandan Government.
• Bhabhatron Cancer Therapy machine to Uganda Cancer Institute.
• 100,000 NCERT books for school going children of Uganda.
• 100 solar-power irrigation pumps to help in development of agriculture.

India Uganda Relationship:

Relationship

• The bilateral relations between India and Uganda are characterised by historical cultural linkages, extensive economic and trade interests, and a convergence on major bilateral and international issues.
• A common and deep respect for universal values like democracy and peace reinforce the architecture of India-Uganda bilateral relations.
• Trade and economic interests brought several Indians to the shores of East Africa as early as the 17th century in dhows laden with their wares.
• India’s freedom struggle inspired the early Ugandan activists to fight colonization and Uganda eventually achieved Independence in 1962.
• India established it diplomatic presence in Uganda in 1965. Except for the era of Idi Amin’s reign in early 70’s when nearly 55,000 Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and 5000 Indian nationals were expelled and their properties confiscated, relations between the two countries have since been cordial.
• The anti-Indian policies of Amin were reversed when the current President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni came to power in 1986.
• The current Government’s progressive policies ensured that the India-Uganda relations were restored to erstwhile levels. Uganda remains an important partner in Africa. India and Uganda closely cooperate at regional and international fora.

Capacity Building and Development Partnership

• Government of India is setting-up a Food-Processing Business Incubation Centre (FPBIC) in Uganda.
• The centre will provide support to the local entrepreneurs to enhance their skills in food processing and also create additional jobs for the rural youth.

Education and Healthcare

• A Tele-medicine centre and a tele-education centre have been set up under the Pan African e-Network Project in 2009.
• India is a preferred destination for affordable and quality health care for Ugandans.
• India is also seen as a destination for quality and affordable education by Ugandan students.
• The Government of India offers scholarships and fellowships to Ugandans from the public and private sector to enable them to pursue under-graduate, graduate, post-graduate and research courses in India under ITEC, ICCR, CV Raman Fellowship and Special Agricultural Scholarship.

Defence Cooperation

• India cooperation with Uganda in the sectors of Security and Defence is increasing.
• Each year, several Ugandan defence officers are trained in India at state-of-the-art training facilities, including the prestigious National Defence College (NDC).

Trade and Commerce

• India remains one of the leading FDI investors in Uganda. India has consistently been among the top three FDI sources.
• It is estimated that Indians/PIOs have invested more than USD 1 billion in the country during the last decade.

Geography

Uganda is a land locked country bounded by

• South Sudan
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Kenya
• Rwanda
• Tanzania

The Great lakes of Africa which are in Uganda are

• Lake Victoria
• Lake Edward
• Lake Albert