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Uganda: UK suspends aid to government

All UK aid spent through the Ugandan government has been suspended with immediate effect.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

All direct financial UK aid spent through the Ugandan government has been suspended with immediate effect, Justine Greening said today.

Britain had previously suspended aid specifically to the Office of the Ugandan Prime Minister in August 2012 while a detailed forensic audit was set up.

As a result of the initial evidence emerging from the ongoing forensic audit, Britain has frozen all direct financial aid spent through the Ugandan government.

A spokesperson for the Department for International Development said:

Britain has frozen all UK aid spent through the Ugandan government. This is a result of initial evidence emerging from our ongoing forensic audit of the Office of the Prime Minister, which indicates aid money may have been misused.

We are extremely concerned by these preliminary findings and we will assess the decision further when we have considered the full findings of the report.

Unless the government of Uganda can show that UK taxpayers’ money is going towards helping the poorest people lift themselves out of poverty, this aid will remain frozen and we will expect repayment and administrative and criminal sanctions.

DFID is committed to rooting out misuse of aid where it undermines development.

Ireland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark also suspended aid to the government of Uganda following the publication of a Special Audit from the Auditor General into aid to the Office of the Prime Minister.

Published 16 November 2012