Museveni addressing the delegates during the signing ceremony at State House Entebbe today
A Host Country Agreement between the Government of Uganda and the African Union (AU), which has been penned, will the establishment of the AU Humanitarian Agency headquarters in Uganda.
The agreement was signed at State House, Entebbe, marking a major milestone in Uganda’s efforts to host the continental institution responsible for strengthening Africa’s humanitarian response.
Speaking during the ceremony, President Yoweri Museveni welcomed the decision to establish the agency’s headquarters in Uganda, noting that it would play a critical role in coordinating humanitarian assistance during emergencies, including the distribution of food and other essential supplies to populations affected by disasters and other crises.
He said the agency would strengthen Africa’s capacity to respond to humanitarian challenges while improving coordination of assistance to vulnerable communities across the continent.
The Attorney General, Sam Mayanja, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Uganda, thanked President Museveni for spearheading the country’s efforts to secure the bid to host the continental agency.
Mayanja said Uganda’s successful bid, in which it scored 85 per cent, demonstrated the confidence and recognition the country enjoys within the African Union.
He explained that the process of establishing the headquarters is expected to commence in December 2026 and take approximately three years before the agency becomes fully operational.
“The Host Country Agreement provides the legal and institutional framework for the establishment and operation of the agency in Uganda, pledging the Government’s commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the agreement.”
Sam Engola, the Minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees described the signing as a significant milestone in strengthening humanitarian cooperation among African countries.
He commended the African Union for selecting Uganda to host the agency, saying the decision recognised the country’s longstanding contribution to humanitarian assistance, particularly its open-door refugee policy and continued support for displaced people from different parts of the world.
Engola noted that Uganda’s experience in refugee management and humanitarian response would provide a strong foundation for the agency’s operations.
Amb. Amma Twum-Amoah, the African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development,
described the signing of the Host Country Agreement as more than a formal diplomatic undertaking, saying it represented an important step towards translating Africa’s political commitment into institutional reality and strengthening the continent’s ownership of humanitarian responses.
She noted that Uganda was a fitting home for the agency because of its longstanding solidarity with people affected by displacement and forced migration.
She particularly highlighted the significance of Kampala, whose name is associated with the 2009 Kampala Convention, Africa’s landmark legal instrument for the protection and assistance of internally displaced persons.
Commissioner Twum-Amoah revealed that the African Union Commission had already mobilised the essential initial staff required to begin operationalising the agency.
“The Commission is ready to work closely with the Government of Uganda to facilitate the deployment of the initial team to Kampala, preferably by the end of November or, at the latest, by mid-December 2026.”
The early deployment of the team, she said, would mark the first step towards establishing the agency’s presence in Uganda, building its operational capacity and fulfilling the mandate entrusted to it by African Heads of State and Government.
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