Iceland builds government buildings in Uganda

coinsThe district administration block in Kalangala islands in Uganda will benefit from a sh 1 billion (USD 600,000) investment from the Icelandic International Development Agency according to reports in the Kampala New Vision. The current administration block is run down and the office buildings are dilapidated.

District engineer Novert Baliremwa, said that surveys of the building are nearing completion. Baliremwa said that construction is scheduled to start in July and will most likely take two years to complete.

According to Baliremwa, the Icelandic funds will go toward the construction of modern offices for the sub-counties of Mazinga and Bubeke.

Skuli Helgason, the vice chairman of the Icelandic International Development Agency’s board of directors said that the Icelandic funds would pay for the first phase of development for the new office buildings.

The Development Co-operation between Uganda and Iceland first started in 2000. For the most part, the two countries cooperate in the areas of fisheries, energy and social development. In addition to the donation for the office development, Iceland also supports several feasibility studies for geothermal prospects in western Uganda.

ICEIDA also supports projects in Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Malawi, Mozambique, and Namibia. In 2007, there were 13 ICEIDA employees working in Uganda, four of whom were Icelanders.