Hours after the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance (MoICT&NG) launched a five-year National Data Strategy, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) issued a strongly worded public statement rejecting it outright.
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The strategy, unveiled on 20 October 2026 with support from UN Global Pulse Uganda and UNDP, aims to fix fragmented data systems, improve interoperability, and prepare the country for a National AI Strategy. It rests on three main pillars—data governance, data infrastructure, and strategic data utilisation—backed by work on skills, research, and innovation. Officials noted that Uganda currently has usable data for only 36% of Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) indicators and set a target of raising that figure to 80% within five years. The plan is estimated to require about Shs 1.6 trillion.
In its 21 October statement, signed by Executive Director and Chief Statistician Dr. Chris N. Mukiza, UBOS argued that the initiative breaches the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Act, 1998 (Cap. 333). The law designates UBOS as the principal agency for collecting and disseminating data and for coordinating, monitoring, and supervising the National Statistical System. Its functions include producing high-quality central statistics, standardising methods, reviewing data-collection instruments, and maintaining a national statistical repository.
UBOS stated that the MoICT&NG “has no legal mandate to spearhead matters incidental to statistics” and described the launch as “an existential threat to the UBOS Act.” It called the strategy “illegal, irregular, redundant and [something that] adds no value to the National Statistical System.” The bureau advised the public to treat the strategy “with the utmost contempt it deserves,” while reaffirming its own commitment to evidence-based statistics for planning and decision-making.
Reactions and Commentary
The public statement quickly drew attention on social media and in local coverage, revealing frustration over coordination failures.
- Several observers noted the lack of basic inter-agency communication. One commentator asked whether the two institutions even have each other’s contacts or a copy of the Public Service Standing Orders.
- Others described the episode as a public institutional clash, with one reaction summing it up as “They brought out the guns eh!”
- Critics of UBOS’s approach said airing the dispute on social media was unprofessional and that such matters should be resolved through formal ministerial channels rather than public statements. Some referenced past coordination problems, including around the recent census.
- A more measured view held that UBOS’s statutory role in official statistics is clear, but a broader data strategy focused on infrastructure, interoperability, and governance could still add value if the two sides aligned properly. “Coordination is what matters here,” one tech observer wrote.
- Some reactions were more dismissive or satirical, treating the row as another example of internal government friction, while a few defended the ministry’s push by arguing that modern data systems are essential for AI and economic ambitions and that UBOS appeared more focused on protecting its mandate than on the substance of the plan.
The exchange underscores a common tension in many countries: traditional statistical agencies defending their legal roles while ICT and digital ministries try to build the infrastructure and governance needed for AI and a data-driven economy. Reliable, shared data is foundational for AI systems, yet overlapping or competing mandates risk duplication, inconsistent standards, and reduced public trust. How (or whether) the two institutions resolve the dispute will influence Uganda’s readiness for its planned National AI Strategy and wider digital transformation goals.
