The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on 8 July formally handed over solar, office, and radio communication equipment to the Government of Uganda to help improve border management.
The items were procured under an IOM Uganda project titled “Comprehensive Border Management for a Strengthened Response to Emergency Mass Migration and Identification of Individual Security Threats in Uganda.”

This project is funded by Government of Japan and implemented by IOM, the UN Migration Agency, working closely with the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

UN Resident Coordinator Rosa Malango and IOM Uganda Chief of Mission Sanusi Tejan Savage performed the handover to Maj Gen Apollo Kasiita Gowa, the Director of DCIC, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Kampala.

The donated equipment, valued at UGX 517,165,604 (USD 138,539), includes:

• Solar power installations for DCIC offices in 26 border crossing points not on the national grid
• KENWOOD radio communication equipment (9 base radios, 5 repeaters and 50 hand-held radios
• Desktop computer-and-scanner sets (9)
• Office chairs (9)
• Tables (9)

The equipment is part of a broader project aims to reinforce DCIC’s operational capacities to communicate and report threats; detect and transmit information on potential illegal migration, trafficking in persons, terrorism; and respond to emergency situations.

IOM and other United Nations agencies are working closely with DCIC to ensure that assistance is aligned with the country’s national priorities and response strategies in Immigration and Border Management.

Speaking at the ceremony, UN Resident Coordinator Rosa Malango Commended the DCIC officers for their dedication to work that is “very hard” in “challenging times” and commended DCIC for the strong partnership it has maintained with IOM. She said that under Strategic Priority 1of the recently-completed UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, the UN in Uganda would continue to reinforce its partnership with DCIC on border management.

For his part, IOM Chief of Mission Sanusi Tejan Savage hailed the Government of Japan for its continued support to towards border security in Uganda, which helps to make migration safer, more orderly and more humane.

“With concerted efforts, together with partners such as DCIC, cost-effective solutions that target specific threats are being provided which will ultimately yield better-managed and more secure borders,” Mr Savage said.

The DCIC Director, Maj Gen Apollo Kasiita Gowa, hailed the Japan-funded project for the support, especially in this COVID-19 era.

“Border management has to adjust to challenges brought by the effect of COVID-19 pandemic, and up to date, reliable information for quick decision making is needed and very fact. So, this equipment, these VHF radios are going to support us in achieving that speed in information sharing.

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For more information / media enquiries, please contact IOM Uganda Public Information Officer, Richard M Kavuma. Email: ugandapiu@iom.int Tel +256 772 709 917.