President Museveni is wearing a smiling face after landing a mega cash contribution worth USD95m towards his much-desired wetland reclamation program.
This support is courtesy of the Danish government and will partly also help support the refugee programs in Uganda.
The targeted group under Museveni’s wetland reclamation program are the rice growers whom he says must leave the center of the wetlands and find other means of survival either by engaging in fish farming on the peripheral of the wetlands or try other wealth creation programs.
The support was announced during a meeting at State lodge-Nakasero between the head of state and a Danish delegation led by Dan Jorgensen, who is the Minister for Development Cooperation & Global Climate Policy.
During this meeting, the President requested the Danish government’s support for his wetland reclamation program, which aims to address the issue of illegal rice growers in swamps that serve as important sources of rainfall in Uganda.
He said the wetland reclamation program seeks to encourage the illegal rice growers in swamps to relocate.
“They are there illegally, so I try to incentivize them. I wouldn’t call it compensation because they are the ones in the wrong. Therefore, if you can mobilize funding to incentivize them to leave the swamps and engage in fish farming on the periphery instead of the center,” the General from Rwakitura informed his visitors who kept nodding in affirmative.
In fact, in a clear show of great importance attached to Museveni’s noble cause, the Danish envoy appreciated his efforts and commitment to addressing climate change and refugee issues.
He expressed Denmark’s willingness to support Uganda’s wetland reclamation program and thus announced a contribution worth $95million to help mitigate the effects of climate change and provide assistance to refugees.
As expected, President Museveni was extremely happy and commended Denmark’s support. He emphasized the importance of preserving Uganda’s natural resources, particularly the tributaries of the River Nile.
Museveni reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to sustainable development and building resilience in the face of climate change.
The nine-man Danish delegation also included, among others Thomas Anker Christensen (Climate Ambassador), Signe Winding Albjerg (Danish Ambassador to Uganda), and Ole Thonke (Under Secretary for Development Policy) while on Uganda’s side were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen Abubaker Jeje Odongo, and his moneybags (Permanent Secretary) Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, among others.
