After banning it a year ago, Museveni lifts ban on DGF

DGF’s activities were suspended last year while government probed the finer details of its work.

In a press statement issued by the Presidential Press Unit (PPU), Museveni revealed the lifting of the ban following a meeting with the Danish minister for Development Cooperation, Flemming Miller Mortensen.

Museveni suspended DGF a year ago, faulting it for operating a multi-billion donor fund without the government's representation in its decision-making structures.

“The president's promise came following an appeal by Hon Mortensen and the Danish ambassador who said that the project has only six months left to elapse. The president said he would formally communicate the position to the relevant government departments,” the press statement reads in part.

Ever since DGF was suspended, a series of meetings have been held between the European Union donor countries which underwrite the fund’s resources, the talks involved senior government officials. However, these discussions failed to bear fruit in the direction of a lifting of the suspension, until now.

Museveni apprised the Danish investors of the available markets of Uganda, East Africa, Africa, US and China, among others. He then saluted Denmark for commercialising milk production in Uganda. This set the stage for the lifting of the suspension as Mortensen promised to give Uganda support in the area of irrigation in order to stabilise agriculture.

Mortensen told the president that Denmark will establish new programs in Uganda in the areas of human rights, civic education and accountability. He revealed that Denmark is heavily invested in its relationship with Uganda in terms of project support, this left the door open for the lifting of the suspension.