Uganda and Ireland have agreed to strengthen coordination around the Karamoja Regional Development Plan (KRDP), with renewed emphasis on youth skilling, women’s economic empowerment and improved donor alignment to enhance development impact in the region.
The commitment was reached during a meeting between the Ministry of Education and Sports Permanent Secretary, Alex Kakooza, and the Ambassador of Ireland to Uganda, H.E. Mags Gaynor, held at the ministry headquarters in Kampala.
“Today, our Permanent Secretary, Mr Alex Kakooza, met with the Ambassador of Ireland to Uganda, H.E. Mags Gaynor, at our office in Kampala,” the Ministry said.
Discussions focused on accelerating the implementation of the KRDP, with Ireland playing a key role as chair of the Karamoja Development Partners Group, which coordinates donor support in the sub-region.
“Their discussions focused on: Implementation of the Karamoja Regional Development Plan (KRDP); Embassy of Ireland’s role as Chair of the Karamoja Development Partners Group in mobilising partner support for KRDP financing; Ireland’s continued support for refugee management in Uganda,” officials noted.
Both sides agreed on a set of priority actions aimed at improving coordination and avoiding duplication of development efforts in Karamoja.
“They agreed to: Mobilise development partners to align their programmes with KRDP priorities; Prioritise youth skilling, women’s economic empowerment, education infrastructure, school feeding, and social protection for older persons," the ministry said.
"Conduct a comprehensive donor mapping exercise in Karamoja to better coordinate development interventions; Strengthen coordination and stakeholder engagement to support the effective implementation of the KRDP."
The donor mapping exercise is expected to provide a clearer picture of ongoing interventions, funding flows and gaps in service delivery across the sub-region.
Ireland currently chairs the Karamoja Development Partners Group, a platform that brings together development partners supporting peacebuilding, livelihoods and service delivery initiatives in the region.
Officials said the meeting was also attended by Tonny Ameny, Assistant Commissioner for Programmes in Karamoja, alongside technical officers from the Ministry and the Embassy of Ireland.
The KRDP remains Uganda’s flagship framework for transforming Karamoja through improved livelihoods, enhanced service delivery and sustained peacebuilding efforts, with Ireland among its longest-standing development partners.
