Kampala, 4-6 May 2026: Uganda strengthened its position as a regional leader in renewable energy development after successfully hosting the International Solar Alliance (ISA) High• Level Mission and signing a landmark Country Partnership Framework (CPF) aimed at accelerating solar deployment, agricultural productivity, and sustainable economic growth Hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD), the three-day mission brought together senior government officials, development partners, private sector players, and delegations from Ethiopia, Senegal, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and The Gambia to explore practical solutions for scaling up solar energy across Africa.
The mission underscored Uganda’s commitment to achieving universal access to modern energy services while advancing the country’s broader development agenda under Vision 2040, the National Development Plan and the Ten-Fold Growth Strategy Opening the mission on behalf of Government, the Minister of State for Energy, Hon. Sidronius Okaasai Opolot, emphasized that renewable energy is central to Uganda’s transformation agenda.
“Reliable affordable and sustainable energy is the backbone of national development. Solar energy is playing an increasingly important role in supporting agriculture, industrialisation clean mobility and rural economic growth,” he noted.
A major highlight of the mission was the signing of the Country Partnership Framework between Uganda and the International Solar Alliance. The framework establishes a structured platform for collaboration aimed at mobilising financing, developing bankable solar projects, strengthening technical capacity and supporting investment in renewable energy technologies.
The partnership is expected to unlock new opportunities for solar-powered irrigation, mini-grids, solar home systems, = institutional solarisation and productive uses of energy, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
As part of the mission, delegates visited Luwero District to assess the impact of solar-powered irrigation systems supported under Uganda’s renewable energy programmes. Farmers shared testimonies of increased productivity, reduced irrigation costs and improved household incomes resulting from access to solar-powered water pumping technologies.
The delegation also travelled to Busitema University where the Director General of the International Solar Alliance, Mr. Ashish Khanna, officially launched the Solar Technology Application Resource Centre (STAR-C).
The centre will serve as a regional hub for solar research, innovation, skills development, testing and certification, further strengthening Uganda’s capacity to support the growing renewable energy sector The delegation also toured the 4MW Busitema Solar Plant, which contributes clean electricity to the national grid while providing practical learning opportunities for students and researchers.
The successful hosting of the ISA High-Level Mission represents another important milestone in Uganda’s energy transition journey. It reinforces the country’s commitment to expanding access to clean energy, promoting climate resilience, supporting agricultural transformation and attracting investment into the renewable energy sector.
As Uganda continues to diversify its energy mix and pursue universal energy access by 2030, partnerships such as the one established with the International Solar Alliance will play a critical role in unlocking innovation, financing and technology needed to power sustainable development.
