The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has formally handed over a 30-seater Coaster bus as well as sickbay equipment to the Immigration Training Academy Uganda (ITA).
The donation was made possible thanks to the Better Migration Management (BMM) programme, a regional, multi-year and multi-partner programme funded by the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), coordinated by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
IOM – the UN migration agency – is one of the main implementing partners alongside UNODC, Expertise France, Italian Department of Public Security, CIVIPOL, GIZ and the British Council. Apart from Uganda, BMM also covers Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan.
The handover ceremony took place at the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) in Kampala on September
30. IOM Uganda Chief of Mission Ali Abdi symbolically handed the bus keys to Major General Apollo Kasiita-Gowa, the director for Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) in the ministry of Internal Affairs.
The academy provides various courses for DCIC personnel and officials from neighbouring countries. Following ITA’s construction, through various projects, IOM has continued to support the academy’s efforts to become fully operational.
This donation from the BMM programme will ease the academy’s transport challenges, thereby facilitating movements and
transportation of trainees trained in migration issues to and from the academy as well as being used for various study tours organized by the academy.
The medical equipment will ensure that the academy has a functional sickbay to attend to any medical needs of the participants during the training sessions.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, IOM Uganda Chief of Mission Abdi said: “This donation will achieve the goal of ITA being able to provide support to trainees while they will attend courses at the academy and medical care in case of emergencies. This donation will contribute immensely to the running of this prestigious academy and to qualify this infrastructure as an academy of reference for Uganda and for the region.”
For his part, Maj Gen Apollo Kasiita-Gowa said: “In this era of heightened interest and activity in migration, we believe that this support will leave the Immigration Training Academy better-placed to make sense of this challenging and dynamic topic, as we seek to improve the situation of migrants and the society in which we all live. With this great team, I promise that we are going to make good use of this vehicle and the medical equipment, and you will feel proud for having supported DCIC activities in Uganda.”