The World Bank is forcing Uganda the to take a USD 40 million (148 billion Shillings) loan to fight Gender Based Violence, Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija has said.
The loan, expected to increase participation in Gender-Based Violence prevention programs and utilization of multi-sectoral services for survivors of gender-based violence in targeted districts, was approved by the cabinet on Monday.
But according to Kasaija, the World Bank forced the government to accept this loan. “When the government started dragging its feet, World Bank warned that it would be hard for Uganda to get support for other projects,” he explained while chuckling to questions by lcoal news agency, URN.
Kasaija said in the course of negotiating for the loan, World Bank suspended funding on the Fort Portal-Kamwenge road citing environmental concerns and allegations of sexual misconduct by the contractors. He added that the Bank also suspended loan agreements for two other projects, pushing the government into a box.
World Bank later set conditions which the the government fulfilled, but Kasaija said, the Bank returned saying the government was not handling the issue of Gender Based Violence satisfactorily. They suggested a loan offer to address the issue.
Kasaija admitted that government was not convinced that it needed this loan. “Your view is as strong as some of our views,” he said.
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