Uganda is a priority country for Ireland’s development aid programme, where we have a commitment to long term strategic assistance. The anticipated budget for the programme in Uganda in 2012 was €32.75 million. However, when I became aware of the misappropriation of Irish funds in October 2012, I immediately suspended over €16 million of assistance which was due to be channelled through Government of Uganda systems. The final outturn for the Uganda aid programme in 2012 was €15.54 million. An interim Aid Programme for Uganda has been put in place for 2013 with a budget of €16.4 million. This programme is built around support for projects which operate through non-government systems, most of which involve the continuation of existing programmes and commitments, together with some elements where existing support through Government systems can be replaced with bilateral arrangements. This includes direct support to the Ugandan Office of the Auditor General.
The promotion and safeguarding of human rights, particularly those of minority groups, is a central element of Ireland’s foreign policy. I share the widespread concerns about the difficult situation faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Uganda. I am particularly concerned about developments in relation to the so-called Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Ireland, together with our EU partners and other international donors in Uganda, has engaged actively on the issue of this draft legislation since it first arose in 2009. The draft Bill was re-introduced in 2012, but has not yet been formally tabled in Parliament. The position of the Government of Uganda on the proposed law is that it was presented as a private member’s bill and is not part of the Government’s legislative programme. President Museveni and the Cabinet have publicly stated that the Bill is unnecessary. He has also made a commitment to engage members of Parliament on the implications of this Bill for Uganda’s international relations and reputation.
I raised the issue directly with President Museveni when I visited Uganda last July and our Ambassador in Kampala has also continued to follow developments closely. She and other EU Ambassadors have outlined our serious concerns in several meetings at the highest levels in Uganda. The Ugandan Government and other interested parties are in no doubt about the Irish Government’s profound concerns on this issue. Ireland, in conjunction with our EU partners and the wider donor community, remains committed to ensuring that citizens of Uganda do not suffer violence or discrimination on the grounds of their sexual orientation. Our Embassy in Uganda will continue to monitor the issue closely over the coming months and to work with partners who are equally concerned to promote respect for these rights.
