The World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD) have provided over Shs2.2tn ($600 million) to Uganda to improve infrastructure and enhance waste management in Kampala, according to a joint announcement by the government and the World Bank on Thursday.
The funding aims to address long-standing issues related to waste management and deteriorating roads in Kampala, which have been underfunded by the central government. Concerns over waste management intensified last month when a landslide at a landfill on the outskirts of Kampala buried homes, killing at least 35 people.
Of the total funding, $566 million will come from the World Bank, primarily as credit, while the AFD will contribute $42.7 million. According to the World Bank, Kampala’s rapid urbanization has highlighted “significant gaps in infrastructure,” which this funding will help address.
Despite the World Bank’s previous announcement that it would cease new lending to Uganda due to the country’s controversial anti-homosexuality law, the institution clarified in an emailed statement that the current funding was approved before the lending freeze took effect.
