The International Rescue Committee (IRC), through its REBUILD programme, has conducted a technical capacity-building training for Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) councillors on refugee legal frameworks and policies.
The training, aimed at equipping local leaders with knowledge about refugee protection and management, was held on Friday, September 4, 2026, at Fairway Hotel.
The training brought together Kawempe Division Urban Council councillors, with technical officers from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), KCCA and IRC making presentations on the current refugee situation in the Kampala Metropolitan Area.
The Mayor of Kawempe Division, Dr. Emmanuel Serunjogi, represented by his deputy, Joseph Kibuga, thanked the OPM and IRC for exposing the newly elected parish and division councillors to vital information on the status and needs of refugees living within Kawempe and the wider metropolitan area.
Serunjogi said Kawempe Division has registered more than 500 refugees living in areas including Kawempe Mbogo, Keti Falawo, Kiza and Kirokole, among others.
He said the training had equipped councillors with a better understanding of global, continental and national refugee legal frameworks, enabling them to respond appropriately to the different categories of refugees within their communities.
“My division will ensure that all refugees have access to essential services, including free medical care, education, government economic empowerment programmes such as Emyooga and the Parish Development Model (PDM), as well as other social services, irrespective of their nationality,” Serunjogi said.
He urged local residents and security personnel to treat refugees with compassion, friendliness and respect, noting that many had been forced to flee their countries because of insecurity and conflict.
The Speaker of the Kawempe Division Urban Council, Eng. Daniel Kigozi Mayombwe, commended the IRC REBUILD programme for extending its support to refugee communities for another year, until June 2027.
He said KCCA appreciates initiatives that strengthen service delivery and promote the protection and integration of refugees within communities.
Agnes Baseera, an officer from the OPM, said the government has a responsibility to sensitise local council leaders about Uganda’s refugee legal and policy framework, refugee management structures and the core principles guiding refugee protection.
She said local leaders need such knowledge because refugees live within communities under their jurisdiction.
Baseera also commended the IRC REBUILD programme for supporting the government in refugee-related programmes, saying the organisation remains an important partner despite declining financial support from international development partners for the refugee response.
IRC Advocacy Manager Moses Okot said the training was intended to strengthen the capacity of local leaders to understand refugee issues and effectively advocate for their protection.
Okot thanked KCCA, OPM and the councillors for participating in the training, saying the IRC hopes the knowledge gained will be used as a strategic governance resource to protect the rights and interests of refugees within their communities.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Makerere I Parish Division Councillor Jjingo Enock thanked IRC, OPM and KCCA for providing the training.
He said the programme had helped councillors understand international legal instruments on refugees and distinguish between different categories of displaced people, including refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and stateless persons.
