Uganda
India and Uganda share historical relations spanning over a century. Indians first came to Uganda in the beginning of 20th century. India’s freedom struggle inspired the early Ugandan activists to fight colonization and eventually Uganda achieved freedom in 1962. India established its diplomatic presence in Uganda in 1965.
Relations between India and Uganda over the years have acquired a greater depth and breadth in areas such as political, defence, economic, commercial, cultural, education, health and tourism.
Cooperation to tackle the challenge of COVID-19 Pandemic
- India donated 1 lakh HCQ tablets and 1 lakh Paracetamol tablets to Uganda in May 2020 to assist fighting Covid19. India gifted a large consignment of medicines (costing approx. Rs. 1.5 crore) in August 2020.
- Government of India also sent a consignment of medicines, consisting of 521 cartons in August 2020. India also gifted 1 lakh Covid shield vaccines to Uganda in March 2021.
- Under Vaccine Maitri, India has supplied 9,64,000 (1,00,000 under GoI grant, and 8,64,000 under GAVI COVAX) Made in India COVID vaccine doses to Uganda in March 2021.
Capacity Building & Other Exchanges
- Since 2002, 1227 professionals have been trained under ITEC, and 719 professionals have been trained in just 9 years since 2014-15.
- ICCR Scholarships: Uganda utilized 144 slots out of 162 slots offered in last five years. In 2023-24, Uganda was offered 35 slots.
- CV Raman Scholarships
- Special training conducted: Special capacity building courses at SSIFS for 25-30 Ugandan diplomats held between 11-23 June 2023.
- MoS for External Affairs, Shri V. Murleedharan inaugurated the Learning Centre set-up under e-Vidhya Bharti e-Arogya Bharti (E-VBAB) at the College of Computing & Information Science at Makerere University in Kampala on 13 November 2021. The last intake of e-VBAB for July 2023 included 92 slots for Uganda and over 160 students applied and by October 2023, the students are likely to start online classes.
- The Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Uganda for setting up of off-shore campus of National Forensic Science University (NFSU) of India in Uganda was signed by Minister of External Affairs of India and Minister of Defence & Veteran Affairs of Uganda on 12 April 2023.
- Agreement between MEA and NFSU, Gandhinagar was signed on 21 September 2023 to provide financial support of Rs 30,00,00,000/-(30 Crores) ( Rs 10,00,00,000/- for each year from FY 2023-24 to 2025-26) for establishment of off-shore campus of NFSU at Jinja, Uganda.
- NFSU, Gandhinagar is working with DPA-II division to deployment of experts at NFSU (Uganda) Campus under ITEC programme.
Development Cooperation (Grants/ LoCs/ Assistance)
- During the visit of PM Modi to Uganda in July 2018, India extended two Lines of Credits for construction of electricity lines and substations worth US $ 141 million and Agriculture and Dairy production for US $ 64 million.
- However, due to requirement on the Ugandan side to submit the Detailed Project Reports (DPR) to obtain approval of their Parliament for external borrowing, the LoC Agreement has not been signed yet.
- During the visit of EAM to Uganda in April 2023, the Government of Uganda informed that they would like to reprioritize the LOC projects by including irrigation and other priorities subjects. The response from Ugandan side is awaited.
- We gifted 80 vehicles in March- August 2020 (44 utility vehicles were handed over for civilian use to Foreign Minister and 36 military vehicles- 10 buses, 10 troop carriers, 2 ambulances and 14 motorcycles.
- A total of 100,000 NCERT text books were gifted to Uganda in August 2019.
- We gifted 20 Laptops worth of US $ 23,620 and 4 SUVs worth of US $ 1,20,000 to the Ministry of East African Community Affairs in August 2020 and in December 2020 respectively.
- Under India for Humanity programme, an artificial limbs fitment camp was organised in November-December 2020 during which 500 Ugandans were benefitted.
- During the visit to Vice President of India to Uganda in January 2017, we announced to gift medicines worth of US $ 2 million and made in India medical equipment worth of US $ 1 million to Uganda. Government of India has gifted medicines worth US$ 1.4 million to the Government of Uganda in January 2019.
- Bhabhatron/medical equipment: Gift of Bhabhatron Cancer Therapy Machine was announced during the visit of PM Modi in July 2018. It was commissioned in February 2020.
