KAMPALA, Uganda – Uganda has joined its East African counterpart, Kenya, in signing a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States of America.
The MoU signed on Wednesday, December 2025, is worth USD 2.3 billion and aims to strengthen Uganda’s health sector over the next five years.
Finance Minister Matia Kasaija signed on behalf of the Government of Uganda, while U.S. Ambassador William W. Popp signed on behalf of the United States.
“Today, we have just signed a five-year and USD 2.3 billion memorandum of understanding for health cooperation. This clear and accountable arrangement outlines how our governments will support life-saving services, strengthen systems and protect both our countries and ensure responsible use of America’s taxpayers’ dollars,” said Popp.
According to Popp, the MoU reflects the new direction of the America First global health strategy, which focuses on U.S. foreign assistance and making America safe and stronger and more prosperous, protecting American mile breaks and moving partner countries towards resilience and durable health systems, and promoting innovation and businesses abroad.
“Over the two months, Uganda and the U.S. teams have worked closely to shape a framework that advances Uganda’s priorities and ensures America’s resources are deployed efficiently and strategically. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has underscored foreign assistance as his tour of diplomacy, and every dollar must ensure shared advance, protect Americans and deliver meaningful results, and this agreement does that,” added Popp.
For more than six decades, the United States has remained Uganda’s largest foreign assistance partner, helping expand access to healthcare, strengthen cancer institutions and save lives.
“Uganda has helped shape the United States’ precedence and emergency plan for aid relief transfers from its very early days. Notably, the very first person who was supported with HIV treatment by PEPFAR was here in Uganda. A Ugandan man who is today 60 years old and thriving on treatment,” Pop emphasised.
How did President Ruto react to the Kenya-U.S. deal
This new collaboration comes barely a week after President William Ruto witnessed the signing of the Kenya-U.S. Health Cooperation Framework in Washington, D.C., signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
President William Ruto said the move “marks a significant strengthening of our commitment to the full actualisation of universal health coverage.”
“This transformative framework prioritises the supply of modern medical equipment to our hospitals, the efficient and timely delivery of essential health commodities to our facilities, the upscaling of our health workforce, and the expansion of health insurance to ensure that every Kenyan is protected,” President Ruto said.
However, the High Court sitting in Nairobi has issued conservatory orders suspending the implementation of the pact.
Why is Cofek against the Kenya-U.S. health collaboration
This is after the Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) raised concerns about the government’s new deal, arguing that the pact could expose Kenyans to risks to data privacy and sovereignty.
But in Uganda, the U.S. investment is expected to support key health priorities such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, polio eradication, global health security, human resources for health, disease surveillance, and emergency preparedness.
“This collaboration will yield not only disease-specific outcomes but also significant improvements in national systems, institutions, and workforce capacity. This is highly commendable,” Minister Kasaija said during the signing ceremony.
Ambassador Popp reiterated that under the MoU, the U.S. shall be supporting Uganda’s transition towards a unified government net force.
“More than 1,100 community health extension workers have already been trained through U.S. support, and this MoU will continue supporting training and equipment as Uganda resumes responsibility for their salaries,” added the ambassador.
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