Uganda launches National Data Strategy amid institutional dispute

Uganda has launched a National Data Strategy, a five-year framework backed by a projected investment of over 1.6 trillion shillings. The initiative, led by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance in partnership with the UNDP and UN Global Pulse, aims to improve the collection, management, and protection of data to support national planning in sectors such as health, education, and agriculture.

However, the strategy has faced a public rebuke from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). UBOS Executive Director Dr. Chris Mukiza issued a statement describing the plan as “illegal, irregular, redundant” and “an existential threat” to the bureau’s legal mandate. UBOS argues that under the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Act of 1998, the agency holds the sole authority to oversee the national statistical system and approve all government data collection tools.

While the Ministry of ICT maintains the strategy is necessary to address fragmented data and lack of common standards, UBOS contends that the ministry is acting outside its legal authority and that existing laws already cover the bureau's responsibilities.