A number of government agencies will be scrapped off, others will be streamlined under their mother ministries starting in the next financial year, beginning July 2023. This will mean massive layoffs. A number of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) such as Allen Catherine Kagina of Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) will now have to work under ministerial departments and may not autonomously control fat multi-billion budgets as they have been doing.
In the following report, we will reveal the fate of the different agencies. Bank of Uganda, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Uganda Development Bank (UDB), Financial Intelligence Authority, Housing Finance Bank, and government shareholding in Development Finance Company Uganda (DFCU) will be retained.
National Social Security Fund (NSSF) will be retained while the Public Procurement and Disposal Authority (PPDA) to be retained but restructured to streamline its management. Uganda Bureau of Statistics and Uganda Development Corporation will be retained while Kinyara Sugar Works will be wholly privatized.
Nile Hotel International Conference Centre (Serena) shareholding will be retained, and so will be all the public universities of Makerere University and Mubs, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Kyambogo University, Busitema University, Gulu University, Kabale University,
Lira University, Muni University and Soroti University. Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) and the Uganda Business Technical Examinations Board will also be retained. The National Environmental Management Authority will be retained but recommended for urgent restructuring and realignment to strengthen it.
Law Development Center will be retained; Management Training and Advisory Centre will be merged with Nakawa Vocational Training Institute. Uganda Wildlife Training Institute will be retained as a specialized training unit under the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.
Hotel and Tourism Training Institute will also be retained as a specialized training unit under the Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities. Uganda Management Institute and Uganda National Commission for UNESCO (UNATCOM) will be retained. Namboole National Stadium (Mandela Stadium) and the Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium will be retained.
The following agencies under the Information and Technology Sector have been retained: Uganda Media Centre, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, New Vision Printing and Publishing Corporation (NVPPC) Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC), Uganda Institute of Information and Communication Technology and Uganda Telecommunications Limited.
Under the Health Sector, the following agencies will be retained: Uganda Cancer Institute, Uganda Heart Institute, National Medical Stores, Uganda Blood Transfusion Services and Uganda AIDS Commission. Under the social development sector, the Uganda National Cultural Center, Equal Opportunities Commission and Industrial Court will be retained. The Electricity Regulatory Authority, the Uganda Commodities Exchange and the Uganda Petroleum Authority have been retained.
Agencies retained under the Justice, Law and Order Sector are: Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) which will be merged with the Equal Opportunities Commission, and the Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Under the Works and Infrastructure Development Sector, the following agencies will be retained: Civil Aviation Authority, East African Aviation Academy, and Uganda Air Cargo Corporation Limited. Under the Defence and Security Sector, the National Enterprises Corporation and the subsidiary institution of Luwero Industries Limited will be retained.
Under the Energy Sector, Government will retain the National Oil Company of Uganda. Under the Public Administration sector, the following agencies will be retained: Electoral Commission, Kampala Capital City Authority, Parliamentary Service Commission, and the Local Government Finance Commission. Under the Lands and Housing Sector, the Uganda Land Commission will be retained.
The National Animal Genetic Resource Center and Data Bank (NAGRIC), National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), Virus Research Institute, National Chemotherapeutic Research Institute and the Joint Clinical Research Center will be retained. The Uganda Coffee Development Authority and Dairy Development Authority will be retained as Departments under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. The Uganda Atomic Energy Council has been retained.
Under the Water and Environment Sector, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation will be retained. The Insurance Regulatory Authority, Capital Markets Authority, Pride Microfinance and Post Bank Uganda have been retained. Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority retained as a Department under the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. National Housing and Construction Corporation will be reverted to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development for supervision.
A number of agencies will be merged. Under the Trade and Investment Sector, the Uganda Investment Authority, Enterprise Uganda Foundation Limited, Uganda Exports Promotions Board, Uganda Free Zones Authority, Private Sector Foundation of Uganda and the Privatization will all be merged into one Authority with specialized departments.
Under the Tourism and Wildlife Sector, the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) will be merged with Uganda Wildlife Authority while the Uganda Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary will be retained. Under the Social Development Sector, the National Youth Council, National Women’s Council l, National Council for Children, National Council for Disability and National Council for Older Persons to be merged and consolidated into one Authority.
The National Council of Higher Education and the National Curriculum Development Centre have been merged. Kyambogo Teacher Curriculum will be merged with the National Curriculum Development Centre. The Uganda Allied Health Examinations Board merged with the Uganda Nurses and Midwifery Examinations Board to form one entity.
Under the Information and Technology Sector, the Uganda Communications Commission will be retained while NITA-U will be restructured into a Department under the Ministry of information, Communications and National Guidance.
Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council, Allied Health Professional Council and the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council have been merged into one council. National Population Secretariat, Metropolitan Physical Planning Authority, Town and County Planning Board, and National Physical Planning Board will be merged under the National Planning Authority.
The Economic Policy and Research Center will be restructured as a Department under the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development. The Public Service Commission, Health Service Commission and Education Service Commission will be merged into one Service Commission with specialized departments to recruit for specialized areas.
The Uganda Railways Corporation will be retained but the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) will be scrapped and mainstreamed as a Department under the Ministry of Works and Transport. The Standard Gauge Railway has been retained pending completion of the project.
The Uganda Registration Services Bureau, National Identification Registration Authority and Uganda Non-governmental Registration Board will all be scrapped and consolidated under one agency: the Uganda National Registration Services Bureau (UNRSB).
Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited, Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited, and Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited will be merged into one company. The Rural Electrification Agency will be scrapped and its functions mainstreamed into a Department under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.
Non-Performing Assets Recovery Tribunal, Non-Performing Assets Recovery Trust, and the Departed Asians’ Property Custodian Board will have their residual functions mainstreamed under the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development.
The functions of the Uganda Property Holdings Limited, Tax Appeals Tribunal and Uganda Energy Credit and Capitalisation Company Limited will be mainstreamed under the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development. The Uganda Warehouse Receipt System Authority will be mainstreamed as a Department under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
The Amnesty Commission and National Citizenship and Immigration Control will have their functions mainstreamed as Departments under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Centre for Alternative Disputes and the Law Reform Commission will be mainstreamed as a unit under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. The National Records and Archives Centre will be mainstreamed as a Department under the Ministry of Public Service.
The National Agricultural Advisory Services, the Uganda Trypanosomiasis Control Council, Uganda Cotton Development Organization, Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization, Uganda Livestock Industries Limited, and Uganda Seeds Limited will be mainstreamed as a Department under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.
The Electricity Disputes Tribunal will be mainstreamed as a Department under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. The Students’ Financing Board will have its functions mainstreamed under the Ministry of Education and Sports. The National Library of Uganda will be mainstreamed as a Department under the Ministry of Education and Sports. The National Forestry Authority will be mainstreamed as a Department under the Ministry of Water and Environment.
Uganda National Meteorological Authority will be mainstreamed as a Directorate under the Ministry of Water and Environment. The National Roads Safety Board and Transport Licensing Board will be mainstreamed as a Department under the Ministry of Works and Transport. The Uganda Road Fund will be mainstreamed as a Department in the Ministry of Works and Transport.
By scrapping off a number of government agencies, the Museveni regime will save about Shs 1 trillion every year. Up to 74 agencies will be scrapped. (See Details Here and There).
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