KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Democracy Governance Facility-DGF has formally exited Uganda after nearly 12 years. DGF, a multi-donor Fund was established in 2011 to properly coordinate donor assistance and activities in Uganda.
The Fund has seven member countries including Austria, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, and the EU, and together, they have been raising over 100billion Shillings that has been used to fund different civil society organizations and government institutions engaged in human rights and good governance activities.
In February 2021, President Museveni suspended the activities of DGF accusing its managers of operating such a mega fund without proper government oversight. Efforts to have the Fund reopened hit a dead end forcing the contributing partners to pull out of the arrangement.
Speaking at the wind-up function at the European Union Ambassador’s residence in Kampala, the EU head of Mission, Jan Sadek said that DGF had done a fantastic job in fostering democracy and accountability in Uganda.
Sadek said everywhere including in Uganda, democracy is under attack and urged the government to embrace dialogue as means of solving political misunderstandings, adding that while they regret that DGF had wound up, they will continue supporting democratic efforts in Uganda.
Sadek also reiterated the EU’s opposition to the Anti- Homosexuality Act that was assented to this week by President Yoweri Museveni.
The Ambassador said Uganda has the obligation to respect the rights of all individuals living in it.
Speaking at the same function, Vincent Waiswa Bagiire, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked DGF for the work it has done to strengthen the work of civil society organizations involved in good governance and democracy.
Bagiire said even when DGF was winding up its work the way it was, its contribution will always be remembered.
On Sadek’s comments about the Anti-homosexuality Act, Bagiire said he was not well-suited to make any comments about the issue because it was above his role as a Permanent Secretary.
For her part, Nicole Bjerler the head of the Facility Management Unit of the DGF said even when DGF was leaving, the government needs to continue engaging the local NGOs and other development partners if it wants to achieve the UN sustainable development goals and Uganda’s vision 2040.
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