| RKK’s International Activities |
Uganda
Vocational education takes high priority in Uganda
On commission from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, RKK is currently working on a pre-project in Uganda. The project is aimed at assisting local authorities to establish an infrastructure for oil and gas training in preparation for impending petroleum production in the country. The authorities stress the importance of local content, including the use of local labour at all levels. ”The Norwegian Model” for this is well known and will be a motivating factor for the development of relevant institutions.
A delegation from RKK was in Uganda in the week 7 – 11 December 2009 to study the current infrastructure and discuss strategy with authorities at different levels. The delegation comprising Managing Director Ole Imsland, Project Director Øystein Førsvoll and Project Coordinator Nadjoina Shalumbo had meetings with First Secretary Per Kristian Johansen and Energy Advisor Nils Dårflot at the Norwegian Embassy in Kampala.
At the Uganda Industrial Research Institute the RKK delegation met Executive Director Prof. Charles G. Kwesiga who gave the visitors a briefing on the work and strategy relating to the preparations for oil production in Uganda. A number of meetings/excursions with visits to Makerere University, the Ministry of Education and Sports, Nakawa and Lugogo Laboratories (for vocational education) were very interesting and showed that the current infrastructure provides a good basis for further development.
Photo above and below: Visit to the Uganda Industrial Research Institute
Photo below: Visit to the Nakawa Vocational Training Institute
Photo below: Visit to Makerere University
Of particular interest was the delegation’s visit to Uganda Co-Operative College in Kigumba (about a 4-hour car-ride from Kampala). This is where the first oil-related courses will start in January 2010, and there are also plans for building a petroleum training centre in the same area. Work was already in progress on preparing for the imminent start of training courses.
Photo above and below: Visit to the Uganda Co-Operative College in Kigumba
A summary of the plans and preparations for further work was drawn up during discussions with the management of the Department of Petroleum Exploration and Production under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development in Entebbe. Mr. Fred Kabanda and Lyoidah Kiconco gave a detailed briefing on the status of the work and future plans. RKK will present its conclusions and recommendations shortly.
Information about Uganda:
The Republic of Uganda is a country in Africa bordering on Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Kenya.
The country is rich in natural resources. Uganda’s key exports are coffee, tea and cotton, while its chief imports are machinery, livestock and chemicals. Major trading partners are Kenya, the UK and Japan. The population is put at 20.6 million in 1997, half being under 15 years of age and only 10% over 45. Life expectancy is 42 for both men and women.
The majority of the population lives in small rural communities. The biggest city is the capital, Kampala, with 773 500 inhabitants in 1991. In second place is Jinja with 61 000 inhabitants.
