Hon. Songa Lawrence Biyika, MP for Ora County and Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change, said that the government will continue to spend a lot of money to addressing climate change crisis if the mindset and behavior of some Ugandans remains the same.
Hon Songa stated that the recent floods in Kampala is just because of poor physical planning and attitude of individuals who throw rubbish in the drainage channels and those building on Kampala hills with no proper plans on managing or harvesting water from heavy rains and ending up causing floods.
While representing finance Minister, Matia Kasaija during the opening of the 2nd Annual Climate Finance Conference in Kampala Hon. Songa said, “the population of Kampala is still small. It is just because of poor physical planning. If we had planned Kampala very well, the drainage channels, for example, they were made to help drain away the the flash floods. But what is happening is because of our attitude and behavior, we are clogging them. We are throwing a lot of rubbish to block the drainage channels. People who are building on the hills, you know, Kampala is full of hills. They have paved all their compound. They have not directed the water, where the water from the paved compound, from the roof, should go simple things we can do.”
He stressed that people who build on hills must put a house, which is recommended under green building, for example, where you harvest the water and you store it. He said, that will help to reduce the quantity of water flushing down to the drainage.
He emphasized the significance of climate finance at both the national and global levels.
He highlighted that before Africa can address the broader global climate finance gap, it must first tackle the microclimate finance gap at home.
He underscored the role of green, smart solutions in households, stressing that small-scale sustainable practices can collectively contribute to national and continental climate finance efforts.
The Climate Finance Conference under the theme ‘’Closing the Climate Financing Gap in Africa,” was organized by the Climate Finance and Sustainability Centre at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) in partnership with Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services (UIBFS).
The two days conference onvened key stakeholders in finance, policymaking, and sustainability to explore actionable solutions for mobilizing and utilizing climate finance effectively.
Speaking at the conference, Mrs. Goretti Masadde, CEO of UIBFS, emphasized the critical role of the financial sector in addressing climate change.
“At the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services, we recognize that the financial sector has a crucial role to play in addressing climate change. Under our Green Finance initiatives, we have developed a Green Finance curriculum, championed ESG training, and proudly launched the Green Finance Awards—a first of its kind, recognizing institutions embedding sustainability into their operations. Our commitment to sustainable finance goes beyond policy discussions; it is about implementing practical, actionable solutions that create long-term impact.”
She also highlighted the power of partnerships in accelerating climate finance solutions. “This year, we are excited to co-host this conference with the Climate Finance and Sustainability Centre at Makerere University Business School (MUBS). This collaboration bridges the gap between research, financial innovation, and real-world implementation, ensuring that sustainability is not just an agenda, but a movement backed by data, knowledge, and expertise.”
Dr. Maria Nantongo, Director of the Climate Finance and Sustainability Centre at MUBS, underscored the urgent need for climate finance mobilization in Africa.
“Africa as a continent can only finance 10% of the resources required to combat climate change, yet this is a pressing and urgent issue affecting everyone. Academic institutions have a critical role in shaping climate finance policies and training the next generation of financial leaders.” she shared.
She also expressed appreciation to the sponsors and partners whose support made this conference possible.
Over the two days, the conference featured insightful panel discussions and expert presentations, including Mrs. Mona Mugume Ssebuliba, CEO of aBi Finance, speaking on ESG, Greening, and Sustainability, and Dr. Denis Mugagga, from the Climate Finance Unit of the Ministry of Finance, discussing Uganda’s national frameworks for climate finance mobilization.
This conference is made possible through the generous support of UNCDF, IFAD, MOFPED, aBi, GIZ, BOU, ARCAFIM, DTB, the Danish Embassy, NMG, CSBAG, NREP, GRO Foundation, Ebee Bikes, aRIN, and Frankfurt Business School.
The 2nd Annual Climate Finance Conference serves as a critical platform for driving meaningful action toward climate finance mobilization, fostering cross-sector collaborations, and ensuring Uganda and the broader African continent play an active role in the global climate finance agenda.
