UBOS Rejects Government’s National Data Strategy, Cites Legal Mandate

[Archival Sense]

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has rejected the National Data Strategy launched by the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance, arguing that it duplicates its responsibilities and undermines the law governing the country’s national statistics system.

In a public statement issued on October 21, 2026, UBOS said the strategy, launched a day earlier at Mestil Hotel in Kampala, breaches the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Act, 1998, which designates the bureau as the principal agency responsible for collecting, coordinating and disseminating official statistics.

The bureau said the law gives it responsibility for coordinating and supervising the National Statistical System, including setting standards for collecting, analysing and publishing statistics, reviewing data collection initiatives and maintaining a central repository of statistical information.

UBOS described the new strategy as “illegal, irregular, redundant” and urged the public to disregard it, arguing that existing frameworks already cover the areas it seeks to address.

The ministry’s five year strategy aims to improve how government collects, manages and uses data to guide planning and decision making. It seeks to increase reliable data coverage from 36% to 80% and covers broader issues such as governance, artificial intelligence and data infrastructure.

The plan also includes proposals for two new data centres, with projected costs of UGX 1.66 trillion.

However, UBOS argued that the country’s statistical needs are already addressed through the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics, its strategic plan and the Data Quality Assessment Framework.

The disagreement raises questions about how the ministry’s wider data ambitions will be coordinated with UBOS’s legally established role in managing official statistics.