By Bazio Doreen.

Adjumani District Local Government is looking ahead to the implementation of the Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project Phase II (DRDIP II), with expectations that the new phase will deepen investments in social services, livelihoods, infrastructure and community resilience in one of Uganda’s long-standing refugee-hosting districts.

DRDIP II comes as Uganda scales up its development response to the pressures and opportunities associated with hosting refugees. Backed by US$328 million in World Bank financing, the second phase is expected to benefit approximately 3 million people, including 1 million refugees, create at least 60,000 new or improved jobs and generate an estimated 6.1 million workdays through public works.

For Adjumani, the programme comes against a backdrop of significant development needs linked to both its resident population and the long-term presence of refugees.

According to UNHCR data, Adjumani’s host population was estimated at 300,590 people as of March 2025. The district is among the refugee-hosting areas in Uganda where public infrastructure, livelihoods and basic services have had to respond to the needs of both refugee and host communities.

Building on the first phase.

DRDIP II is expected to build on lessons and investments from the first phase of the programme, which supported refugee-hosting districts through investments in social and economic infrastructure, livelihoods, environmental management and local government capacity.

Adjumani was among the districts covered by the first DRDIP programme.

Some of the investments recorded in Adjumani included the rehabilitation of Pagirinya Road at Shs1.27 billion, construction of an Intensive Care Unit at Adjumani Hospital at Shs1.8 billion, construction of dormitories at Dzaipi Secondary School and Mungula Secondary School at Shs750 million each, and classroom construction at Rende Primary School at Shs515.5 million. An Ofua community food store also received Shs230 million under the programme.

These investments illustrate the scale at which DRDIP has previously supported infrastructure intended to benefit communities affected by displacement.

The first phase also recorded substantial results nationally. World Bank project reporting shows that more than 3 million Ugandans gained access to improved social infrastructure, environmental services and livelihood opportunities, while the project created jobs for more than 174,660 people, including 27,380 refugees.

A larger focus on livelihoods and jobs.

While infrastructure remains important, DRDIP II places increased emphasis on economic opportunities.

The World Bank says the second phase will expand support for livelihoods, local enterprises and public works alongside investments in education, health, water and other basic services. At least 60,000 jobs are expected to be created or improved through the project.

For communities in Adjumani, where agriculture, small businesses and informal economic activities provide livelihoods for many households, the emphasis on economic opportunities could complement investments in physical infrastructure.

The programme is also designed to support both refugees and host communities, reflecting Uganda’s approach of integrating refugees into national and local development systems.

Why DRDIP II matters to Adjumani.

The need for sustained investment is linked not only to the presence of refugees but also to the broader development pressures facing refugee-hosting districts.

The World Bank notes that refugee-hosting communities in Uganda continue to face significant development deficits, particularly in rural areas where basic service provision and economic opportunities remain constrained.

This makes the transition from humanitarian support to longer-term development particularly important for districts such as Adjumani.

DRDIP II is designed to improve access to basic social and economic services, expand livelihood opportunities and strengthen environmental management for both refugee and host communities.

For Adjumani District Local Government, this creates an opportunity to align project investments with priorities already identified through district development planning.

Communities expected to remain at the centre.

A key feature of DRDIP is its community-driven approach, with local communities involved in identifying and prioritising investments.

As anticipation builds around DRDIP II, effective community participation will be important in ensuring that projects respond to actual needs and that beneficiaries take ownership of the investments.

The district will also need strong coordination among its technical departments, communities, refugee representatives, Office of the Prime Minister, implementing partners and other stakeholders to ensure that investments are properly planned, implemented and maintained.

The first phase demonstrated the importance of local government capacity in managing such investments. World Bank project records show that 100 percent of infrastructure investments assessed under the project’s results framework had local government recurrent budget allocations or operation and maintenance plans at the reporting point.

From infrastructure to resilience.

DRDIP II is therefore being positioned not simply as another infrastructure programme, but as part of Uganda’s longer-term response to displacement.

The World Bank describes the second phase as an opportunity to scale investments in infrastructure, public services, environmental management and economic opportunity, while strengthening the relationship between refugees and host communities.

For Adjumani, the anticipation comes with an opportunity to build on what has already been achieved while addressing gaps that remain in roads, education, health, livelihoods, water and community economic development.

As preparations for DRDIP II progress, the district’s priority will be to ensure that communities are adequately engaged, identified needs are clearly documented and investments are aligned with Adjumani’s development priorities.

The anticipated programme represents another opportunity for Adjumani to turn the pressures associated with hosting refugees into investments that strengthen services, livelihoods, infrastructure and resilience for both refugee and host communities.

END.