AfDB to lend Uganda US$ 345 million

The Ugandan government has signed six loan agreements with the African Development Bank (AfDB) totalling US$ 345 million to finance roads, sanitation, power transmission lines, education and agriculture projects, according to the All Africa new agency.

The first loan, worth US$ 52.5 million, will help deliver the Kampala sanitation programme, which aims to improve access to sanitation and environment protection. It includes construction of sewage treatment plants, public and school toilets, as well as training of teachers and school inspectors in sanitation.

The second loan (US$ 78 million) will help improve post-primary education facilities, while the fourth loan, worth US$ 78.8 million, will help finance the Mbarara-Nkenda/Tororo-Lira transmission line.

The fourth loan (US$ 67.4 million) includes a community agriculture infrastructure improvement programme - roads - aimed at enhancing farmers' access to markets.

The fifth loan is a markets and agricultural trade improvement project worth US$ 56.9 million. This aims to improve marketplace economic and social infrastructure.

The last loan (US$ 149 million) will help finance the multi-national interconnection of electric grids of the Nile Equatorial Lakes countries, which aims to increase cross-border sharing of power and increase availability.

All Africa quoted Benedict Kanu, head of the AfDB's operations in Uganda, as saying the loan agreements were signed at the AfDB's 44^th annual meeting, which was held in Dakar, Senegal earlier this month.