US offers Uganda Shs1.7 trillion in development assistance in 2018

US has continuously been stepped in to help aid Uganda with funds, for the smooth running of the country.

Currently, Uganda stands the seventh of the countries that America has aided with funds, and that which the States still aid. Uganda emerges after Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Afghanistan, Kenya and Tanzania.

The United States has offered Uganda Shs1.7trillion ($436m) in development assistance for 2018, with the bulk going to the health sector and the rest distributed to areas such as economic development, democracy, human rights, governance and peace and security.

In the year ending, 2017, Washington offered Uganda $398m (Shs1.4 trillion) and $535m (Shs1.9 trillion) in 2016. The data by the State Department’s Foreign Assistance office, which coordinates the US foreign assistance programmes state.

Uganda, according to the Foreign Assistance office, is a “key strategic partner for the United States, particularly with regard to regional stabilization.”

Records show that Uganda’s health sector is the biggest beneficiary of the US aid spent, with approximately $488.3million or Shs1.7 trillion received in between October last year and September this year.

In an email, Mr. Dimon said the bulk of ‘our health assistance is for combating HIV/AIDS through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief’, with the rest spread out to health system strengthening and fighting malaria, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases.

The increase in assistance by nearly $39m (Shs140b) highlights Washington’s unchanged stance towards Africa contrary to what several critics anticipated when President Donald Trump assumed office – sources show.

Correspondent: Shamilah Namuddu