World Bank, French Development Agency give Uganda aid of over $600 million

FILE PHOTO: People gather as volunteers search to retrieve the bodies of residents killed by a landslide due to heavy rainfall in a landfill known as Kiteezi that serves as garbage dumping site, in the Lusanja village, outside Kampala, Uganda August 10, 2024. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa//File Photo

Source: REUTERS

The World Bank and French Development Agency (AFD) have given Uganda more than $600 million to fund infrastructure development and manage waste in the capital Kampala, the government and World Bank said on Thursday.

Ugandans have complained about waste management and the poor state of the roads in Kampala, which suffers chronic underfunding from the central government.

Last month a garbage landslide at a landfill site on Kampala's outskirts buried houses as residents slept, killing at least 35 people.

A total of $566 million worth in funding, much of it credit, will come from the World Bank, and $42.7 million will be provided by ADF, the statements said.

"Rapid urban expansion has exposed significant gaps in infrastructure" the World Bank said.

Last year, the World Bank said it would stop lending to Uganda after the east African country passed a harsh anti-gay law.

In an emailed response to a Reuters' query the World Bank said the ban was still in effect but that the latest credit extended to Uganda was approved before the ban.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters