Posted on :Wednesday , 13th April 2022

- Minister Vicky Ford visited to Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia to strengthen trade, educational, and health relationships, as well as tackle issues like conflict and drought.

- Vicky Ford pledged £17 million in UK aid and one million COVID-19 vaccines to combat the region's drought.

- The Minister also announced fresh investments in East Africa and spoke at the British International Investment (BII) regional launch, where she announced a £37 million BII investment in Kenya's Equity Bank.

- She met with Prime Minister Abiy in Ethiopia to explore ways to bring the war in northern Ethiopia to a peaceful conclusion and UK help for post-conflict rebuilding.

Vicky Ford, the Minister for Africa, just returned from a three-country trip to East Africa, where she focused on assisting drought-stricken people and forging strong economic partnerships.

Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford MP, said:

- The UK is deepening our ties with our partners across East Africa.

- As the area struggles with one of the worst droughts on record, the UK is supplying critical food aid to vulnerable communities in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, as well as spearheading the worldwide effort to assist countries on the frontlines of climate change.

- British International Investment's efforts in east Africa will provide honest and dependable financing, enhance growth, and create jobs for both the UK and the area.

- I am glad that attempts are being made to bring peace to northern Ethiopia, where the violence has wreaked havoc on millions of people. The United Kingdom stands ready to assist in peace initiatives.

- And we're working with our East African partners to address some of the region's most pressing issues, including security and stability, severe humanitarian crises, improving girls' enrollment in school, and expanding access to COVID-19 vaccines.

While in Kenya, the Minister announced a £17 million package of UK funds to assist over a million people in East Africa who have been impacted by extreme weather events brought on by climate change.

In Nairobi, the Minister co-hosted an event with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Ukur Yatani, and a number of business leaders to launch the new British International Investment (BII) in East Africa. At the ceremony, BII announced a fresh £37 million investment in Equity Bank to help small businesses develop in Kenya.

The Minister also confirmed that UK engineering firm Atkins has been appointed to design Nairobi's new Central Train Station, a flagship project to regenerate Nairobi's Central Business District, and that the UK will provide expert analysis and advice on how to boost green manufacturing jobs in Kenya (worth £400,000).

In Uganda, the Minister paid a visit to the Wakiso district's Onwards and Upwards school, where she spoke with kids about the impact of two years of school closures on them and their expectations for the future.

The Minister also witnessed firsthand collaboration between the United Kingdom and Uganda at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), where our two countries have worked together on HIV, Ebola, and, most recently, COVID-19.

Following the donation of 300,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses last year, Ford announced a new deal with the Ugandan government to provide a further one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the coming months.

UVRI has had ties to the United Kingdom since its inception in 1936, and it presently receives support from the United Kingdom government through the Medical Research Council and the United Kingdom Research Institute.

Minister Ford met with Prime Minister Abiy and State Minister Redwan in Ethiopia to call for peace in the north and to urge the government to participate in African Union-led mediation efforts, as well as to emphasise the UK's willingness to support a peace process.

To address some of the immediate needs, the Minister announced increased health and education support (worth £5 million) for individuals living in conflict-affected areas, which will allow 30,000 children who have been forced out of school due to conflict to return to school.

The Minister also announced an additional £4.5 million in financing for local women's organisations in Tigray to give critical support to survivors of gender-based violence, peacebuilding efforts in the Somali region, and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission's capacity building.

Minister Ford also met with Finance Minister Shide to discuss UK support for opening up Ethiopia’s economy to private investment for low carbon infrastructure.