New Year message from Ambassador Takuya SASAYAMA（2026）
2026/1/6
Everyone,
Happy New Year. I look forward to working with you again this year.
Last year was a year in which exchanges between Uganda and Japan deepened. It began with the visit of Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Eri Arufiya to Uganda in May, and in August, TICAD9 was held in Yokohama, with a delegation led by Vice President Alupo from Uganda participating. In the same August, Cabinet Advisor Isao Iijima visited Uganda. In October, Uganda National Day was held at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, and Prime Minister Nabbanja from Uganda attended.
In the field of infrastructure development, the Kampala Flyover (Lot1), implemented with yen loans, was completed (Kampala Overpass Construction and Road Improvement Project). Additionally, intersections in Kampala were improved with grant aid, and numerous traffic lights were installed. These are Japanese-made traffic lights under the Kampala City Traffic Control Improvement Plan.
Furthermore, JICA created the Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Master Plan through a technical cooperation project. This year, one of the goals is to boldly promote appropriate urban development that considers the environment by facilitating collaboration and coordination among major stakeholders based on this plan. The construction of Kampala Flyover Lot2 and the new Karuma Bridge will also be expedited. Human resource development (in the field of education) in various fields is also important. Cooperation with Uganda will continue in the fields of agriculture, water and sanitation, and support for northern and refugee-hosting regions.
The development of Uganda and the East African region is remarkable and, it is changing at a speed beyond imagination. Japan must not lag behind this pace of change. Japan's development cooperation is not just about assisting the development of partner countries. Sharing challenges and knowledge can, in turn, provide hints for solving various issues that Japan faces. We have also specifically introduced cooperation in the startup field. We believe that these are areas where Japan and Uganda can deepen their knowledge together.
I would like to continue conveying the "now" of Uganda this year as well. Once again, I look forward to working with you this year.
Happy New Year. I look forward to working with you again this year.
Last year was a year in which exchanges between Uganda and Japan deepened. It began with the visit of Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Eri Arufiya to Uganda in May, and in August, TICAD9 was held in Yokohama, with a delegation led by Vice President Alupo from Uganda participating. In the same August, Cabinet Advisor Isao Iijima visited Uganda. In October, Uganda National Day was held at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, and Prime Minister Nabbanja from Uganda attended.
In the field of infrastructure development, the Kampala Flyover (Lot1), implemented with yen loans, was completed (Kampala Overpass Construction and Road Improvement Project). Additionally, intersections in Kampala were improved with grant aid, and numerous traffic lights were installed. These are Japanese-made traffic lights under the Kampala City Traffic Control Improvement Plan.
Furthermore, JICA created the Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Master Plan through a technical cooperation project. This year, one of the goals is to boldly promote appropriate urban development that considers the environment by facilitating collaboration and coordination among major stakeholders based on this plan. The construction of Kampala Flyover Lot2 and the new Karuma Bridge will also be expedited. Human resource development (in the field of education) in various fields is also important. Cooperation with Uganda will continue in the fields of agriculture, water and sanitation, and support for northern and refugee-hosting regions.
The development of Uganda and the East African region is remarkable and, it is changing at a speed beyond imagination. Japan must not lag behind this pace of change. Japan's development cooperation is not just about assisting the development of partner countries. Sharing challenges and knowledge can, in turn, provide hints for solving various issues that Japan faces. We have also specifically introduced cooperation in the startup field. We believe that these are areas where Japan and Uganda can deepen their knowledge together.
I would like to continue conveying the "now" of Uganda this year as well. Once again, I look forward to working with you this year.