By Josephine Maseruka

THE European Union has given sh5.2b to five local and international organisations to promote good governance and democracy in Uganda.

The fund is part of the 12m Euro grant to the Democratic Governance and Accountability programme (DGAP) financed under the 10th European Development Fund.

The grant agreement was signed yesterday by the permanent secretary of the internal affairs ministry,

Dr. Steven Kagoda, and Jose Soler, the charge d’Affaires of the EU delegation to Uganda.

The five beneficiaries include OXFGAM Novib, the British Council, the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative. Others are Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Panos Eastern Africa.

Soler, who represented the EU Chief of Delegation, said: “The financing and project management of grants must strictly adhere to the set conditions and relevant EU procedures to ensure that the projects truly deliver on their worthy objectives.”

He noted that the programme design would boost successes of the EU supported programmes like human rights, good Governance, the civil society capacity building programme and the support to decentralisation.

Kagoda said the programme would be implemented in 48 months.

“It is an opportunity for us to ensure that the money is put to good use so that we do not disturb the Police,” he said.

Kagoda said whatever goes wrong in any other sector, the `issues end up in his ministry. He thanked the EU for continued support to Uganda.

Robina Namusisi, the DGAP programme manager, said the funding would be implemented within the framework of the five-year National Development plan.

She said the five grantees competed with other 50 organisations that applied.

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung received the highest amount of 1.2b for promoting good governance and accountability.

It will effect the project with Action for Development. OXFAM Novib got sh1.1b for the Citizen’s manifesto in action, which aims at building a social contract between citizens and their leaders. The British Council, working with Uganda Youth Network, got sh1b.