By Baroness Kinnock

I was in Uganda just a week ago and I was saddened to hear of the tragic loss of life in Bududa, following a series of serious landslides. On behalf of the British Government, I would like to offer my sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of those dead, injured and missing. Our thoughts are with you at this difficult time.

I have visited Uganda a number of times, but this time I returned as the British Foreign Office Minister responsible for Africa. The visit was short, but productive, and I had the opportunity to meet and talk to a wide range of Ugandans from different backgrounds and walks of life.

The UK has historic and strong links with Uganda and today’s partnership is a vibrant one. The UK Government is the biggest investor in Uganda and around 40-50,000 Ugandans live in the UK, while many UK NGOs work in Uganda. During my visit, I was privileged to see the impressive and wonderful work that one of them, Retrak, does with some of Kampala’s street children, ensuring that these bright, but needy youngsters can have the hope of a better future — a future which the Government could do well to invest in.

In my meeting with the President and other ministers, I was able to thank Uganda for its work in the UN Security Council. I also welcomed Uganda’s contribution to the AU mission, which is trying to bring stability to Somalia. As a country committed to a similar mission in Afghanistan, we know how challenging that is.

During the CHOGM meeting in 2007, our governments signed a development partnership which committed the UK to assist Ugandan efforts to alleviate poverty and promote development.

Last year the UK provided about £73m to Uganda in aid through our bilateral development programme; £35m of this went directly to the Government as budget support. This amount does not include the support we provide in addition through the EU, UN, World Bank and other multilateral organisations which also support Uganda’s efforts to meet some of the targets already identified, including the Millennium Development Goals, for example, for primary education, for health care and for gender rights.

Our multifaceted bilateral relationship is important and founded on shared history, values and strong people-to-people links. Through meetings with the Government, the opposition and civil society, it is clear that we also share similar aspirations.

The first is making a success of multiparty politics. Ugandans voted for the re-introduction of political parties in 2005. We know from long experience in the UK you never get to a point where you can say the political system is perfect, and that democracy is always a work in progress.

It needs continued, deliberate effort by all concerned to create the conditions in which multi-party politics can grow, flourish and provide the accountability and contest of ideas that Uganda needs to support its future development.

Freedom of expression, assembly and association are key to a credible election. A well-run and transparent electoral process is also vital. Your last elections in 2006 were the first since 1980 under a multi-party dispensation. That created particular challenges. Domestic and international observers and your own Supreme Court noted shortcomings, including disenfranchisement from the voter register and partisan conduct by elements of the security forces and electoral officials.

I hope strongly that those shortcomings will not be repeated in 2011 and that we, and other friends of your country, will be able to welcome elections that mark a clear step forward for Uganda.

The second issue that struck me forcibly during my visit was corruption because nearly everybody I met in Uganda told me this was a serious challenge for the country.

The newspapers I read in Kampala confirmed that message, as does the latest international index from Transparency International. It is an issue that concerns us as we try to work through government systems to support development. Corruption diverts public funds from where they are most needed. It also corrodes public trust in government as we have seen in many places around the world.

I was encouraged to hear strong messages from the Government of its commitment to confront and tackle corruption.

I know that there has been some progress, for example on bringing to book those who stole from the Global Fund. But I cannot underline how strongly I hope that there will be further determined progress to reverse the corruption trend and hold publicly accountable those who steal from Uganda’s citizens.

There is much to be proud of in Uganda and I know the UK will continue to be here as a partner, to support and work with the Government and Ugandans to meet the goals they have set themselves. It is time to overcome the challenges and reach for those goals, making them a reality.
The writer is the UK’s minister of state for Africa