Leaders across Lango Sub-region have called on the Japanese government to increase investment in agriculture, education, healthcare and infrastructure, citing climate-related crop losses, inadequate public facilities and high youth unemployment. The request was made during an engagement with officials from the Embassy of Japan in Lira City as part of a Japan Official Development Assistance (ODA) press tour to assess development interventions and hear communities' priorities. The leaders identified agricultural mechanisation, irrigation, school infrastructure, health facilities and industrial development as areas where Japanese support could make the most difference.
Fred Jalameso, the Ajuri County MP in Alebtong District, said declining agricultural production was threatening household incomes, food security and the supply of raw materials to agro-processing industries in Lira City. He told the visiting delegation that farmers had recorded poor harvests in the two growing seasons in 2026, with production falling to less than 20 per cent of normal levels, partly because of changing weather patterns. Jalameso said most farmers still rely on hand tools, while hiring a tractor costs between 120,000 and 150,000 shillings per acre, making mechanised farming unaffordable for many households. He asked Japan to support affordable farm mechanisation, irrigation infrastructure and water management, and called for rehabilitation of old dams and construction of new ones to provide water for irrigation and livestock.
Leo Elem, the Moroto County MP, asked Japan to expand support for school infrastructure, saying overcrowded classrooms and inadequate facilities were undermining efforts to improve education. He said Uganda's competence-based curriculum, which emphasises practical and transferable skills, required adequate infrastructure to support effective teaching and learning. Patrick Ogwang Obura, the Oyam South MP and chairperson of the Lango Parliamentary Group, said the region needed greater investment in education and technical skills development to help young people secure employment. He asked Japan to consider expanding scholarship opportunities for disadvantaged learners and supporting the construction of technical and vocational training institutions.
Lira City Mayor Sam Atul proposed partnerships between Lira and Japanese cities to facilitate technical knowledge exchange and improve urban management. He said Lira needed support to develop a detailed physical development plan, improve drainage and expand paved roads to accommodate urban growth. Atul also raised the proposed Aler Industrial Park, saying its development could create jobs for young people and stimulate economic activity in the region. He said a proposal had previously been submitted to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) seeking support for the industrial park. Denis Alyela Omodi, the Lira City East Division MP, cited Japanese support to Amorigoga Primary School and cooperation with the Itek Okile Rice Growers Multipurpose Cooperative Society in Lira District, which has approximately 1,500 members, as examples of interventions that could be extended to other communities.
Masanobu Yonemitsu, head of economic cooperation at the Embassy of Japan, said the visit had given the delegation an opportunity to learn directly from regional leaders and communities about their development challenges. He said he would take the proposals raised during the engagement back to Kampala for consideration, but announced no new projects or funding commitments. Yonemitsu said direct engagement with communities was important in informing development policies and ensuring interventions addressed needs on the ground, adding that whether the proposals translate into new Japanese-funded projects will depend on subsequent assessments and funding decisions.