A major new wave of UK–Uganda cooperation has been announced, marking a strategic shift from traditional aid support toward long-term investment partnerships aimed at accelerating infrastructure, energy, agriculture, and economic transformation in Uganda. The announcement came during a high-level visit led by Baroness Jenny Chapman, the UK Minister for Development and Africa, who toured several project sites alongside Ugandan officials.
During her visit, Chapman joined Uganda’s energy leadership at the Mbarara substation where construction was launched on the Amari Power Transmission Project. The ceremony brought together government representatives, engineers from Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited and partners from the UK-backed investment platform Gridworks, signaling the start of a major upgrade to the national electricity network.
The Amari project will modernize four high-voltage substations across Uganda, strengthening the country’s power transmission capacity and reducing bottlenecks in electricity distribution. Funded through Gridworks, the initiative is being described by officials as the first independently financed transmission project of its kind in Africa to successfully reach financial close, positioning Uganda as a regional energy investment hub.Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr Monica Musenero, welcomed the development, describing it as a transformative milestone for the country’s energy sector.
She emphasized that improved grid infrastructure will support industrial growth, rural electrification, and broader economic development across multiple regions.Beyond energy, the UK also committed two major financing packages through UK Export Finance worth over UGX 1 trillion combined. One package will support solar-powered irrigation systems designed to assist smallholder farmers, particularly in coffee-growing regions, improving agricultural productivity and climate resilience across rural communities.
The second financing package will support the construction of a new road linking Kitgum and Kidepo, a key transport corridor expected to boost trade routes toward South Sudan while improving access to Kidepo Valley National Park, strengthening both commerce and tourism potential in northern Uganda.In addition to infrastructure development, discussions also focused on refugee support.
Uganda, which hosts nearly two million refugees under its open-door policy, will benefit from a new UK programme aimed at strengthening self-reliance and economic empowerment for both refugees and host communities, with projections to reach over 168,000 people in the coming years.The visit also highlighted strong health and business ties, including long-standing UK collaboration with the Uganda Virus Research Institute on diseases such as Ebola and HIV. With new investments and partnerships expanding across energy, agriculture, transport, and public health, both governments described the relationship as evolving into a deeper investment-driven partnership aimed at long-term transformation and shared economic growth.
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