Over 25 years of partnership between Uganda and Japan

What the report says

The Observer published a viewpoint piece marking more than 25 years of cooperation between Uganda and Japan, with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) presenting the relationship as a long-running development partnership built on mutual respect and shared goals. The article says JICA began full operations in Uganda in 2006, though its broader engagement with the country dates back further.

According to the piece, the partnership is aligned with Uganda’s National Development Plan IV and Vision 2040, and is organized around four main areas: economic infrastructure, agriculture, basic human needs, and peacebuilding. Examples cited include work linked to the Kampala Flyover and the New Nile Bridge, support for smallholder horticulture, efforts to improve hospital management and safe water access, and programs in northern Uganda and refugee-hosting communities.

The author also highlights people-to-people exchange as a major part of the relationship. The article says more than 860 volunteers have served in Uganda and that over 4,300 Ugandans have taken part in JICA knowledge programs in Japan since 2001. It also points to newer interests in ICT and entrepreneurship support.

As presented by The Observer, the piece is meant to show how Japanese development cooperation in Uganda has moved beyond individual projects to broader capacity building. It frames the partnership as one focused on sustainability and local ownership, which the author says will continue into Uganda’s next phase of economic and social planning.