OPM, UNHCR begin refugee verification exercise

By Leticia Kahubire

ARUA

The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) are undertaking a nationwide verification exercise to establish the actual number of refugees in Uganda.

The exercise, which started on Monday, 7 September 2026, is intended to provide accurate information on Uganda’s refugee population and facilitate planning, resource allocation and service delivery to refugees and host communities.

Hon. Sam Engola, the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, revealed this during a visit to the refugee settlements in West Nile on Tuesday. He was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Alex Kakooza, and the Acting Commissioner for Refugees Management, Mr. Tony Ameny, and other technical officers.

It is estimated that Uganda currently hosts about 2.3 million refugees. But the refugee population keeps changing, as new displaced persons continue to enter the country.

Kakooza said the verification exercise will produce the exact number of refugees and support the Government and its partners in planning for the displaced persons and host communities.

The Acting Commissioner for Refugee Management, Tony Emmy Ameny, said the exercise started at Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Isingiro District.

During an engagement at the OPM’s regional refugee office in Arua, local leaders briefed the team on the issues relating to refugees in the area. Hon. Engola said the Government is supporting voluntary repatriation of refugees to ease pressure on host communities.