President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Monday bid farewell to R. Mukami Kariuki, the outgoing World Bank Country Manager for Uganda, during a meeting held at State House Entebbe.
Kariuki, who has led World Bank operations in Uganda since August 2021, paid her final courtesy visit accompanied by Qimiao Fan, Director of Strategy and Operations in the Office of the World Bank’s Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships.
President Museveni thanked Kariuki for her contribution to Uganda’s development agenda during her tenure.
“Thank you so much. I wish you good luck,” the President told her during their meeting.
Kariuki expressed appreciation for the collaboration extended by the government during her service.
“Your Excellency, I appreciate the support and partnership we have had. It has been a pleasure working with Uganda,” she said.
Qimiao Fan, who also oversees World Bank programs in Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda, reiterated the Bank’s commitment to supporting Uganda’s development priorities. He highlighted key focus areas including agriculture transformation, job creation for youth, and renewable energy development.
“Uganda has great potential. You have fertile soils, abundant sunshine for renewable energy, and a rapidly growing young population that needs jobs,” Fan noted.
He pointed out Uganda’s low agricultural productivity despite its natural advantages and emphasized the need for targeted investments.
“Investing in irrigation and logistics can help farmers access markets more effectively,” he said.
In response, President Museveni shared Uganda’s progress in agricultural research and innovation. He cited the development of improved seeds for key crops such as coffee, maize, cassava, bananas, and potatoes.
“Our research centers have done their job. The challenge now is funding the uptake and supporting farmers to apply the technologies,” the President said.
He further illustrated the impact of irrigation with the success story of Prof. Florence Muranga from Bushenyi, who harvests up to 53 tonnes of bananas per acre annually—far above the regional average of 5 tonnes.
The President also proposed resettling communities from wetlands to the edges where they can engage in fish farming, while using swamp water for irrigation to protect ecosystems and promote sustainable agriculture.
“We want to move people from wetlands and support them to do fish farming on the edge. That way, we preserve the wetlands and still use the water for irrigation,” he said.
He emphasized that agriculture remains central to Uganda’s identity and heritage.
“Agriculture is part of our ancient heritage. These crops are not foreign; they are ours,” President Museveni added.
The meeting reaffirmed the World Bank’s long-standing partnership with Uganda and opened the door for deeper cooperation in strategic sectors of national development.
