The World Bank has advised the government to continue implementing the troubled $200m (Shs693b) Uganda Digital Acceleration Project-Government Network (UDAP-GOVNET) project as if it were ending, as initially planned, in May 2026, pending determination of the 17-month extension request.
In an October 10 letter, the World Bank’s acting Country Manager, Ms Annette Tamale Katuramu, told the Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary, Mr Ramathan Ggoobi, that even after restructuring the project in June to narrow its scope, it remains plagued by several problems. ‘As discussed in March 2025 with the World Bank Division Director, Qimiao Fan, the aim was to focus the project on deliverable activities by the closure date of May 30, 2026.
After the restructuring in June 2025, progress has improved, yet the project still faces delays and low disbursement and remains in ‘problem’ status,’ Ms Katuramu wrote. She added: ‘These challenges persist, and the planned second restructuring in November 2025 will review progress and cancel outstanding items to help achieve the revised goals. We ask the Ministry of Finance to continue supporting this plan and assist National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (NITA-U) in delivering the restructured activities by May 30, 2026, as scheduled.’
The letter is copied to the Attorney General, Mr Kiryowa Kiwanuka, the Solicitor General, Mr Pius Perry Biribonwoha; NITA-U Executive Director Hatwib Mugasa; as well as Alex Kakooza, Irene Bateebe, Ketra Turyagyenda, and Aminah Zawedde, the permanent secretaries of the user ministries of the Office of the Prime Minister, Education, Energy, and ICT, respectively, among other officials.
The World Bank, long frustrated by the delays, first hinted at restructuring the project in a January 7 letter to the ICT Minister, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, citing the slow absorption of only two percent or $4m (Shs14b), out of $200m, yet the project deadline was fast approaching. Consequently, during the inspection mission in May, the lender guided the restructuring of the project, to narrow its work scope to chewable components amounting to $87.5m (Shs302.27b).
Seeking more work, money
However, in August, NITA-U and the ministry of Finance officials went back to the drawing board to re-restructure the project to add more work components worth $95.3m (Shs329.22b) and be given a 17-month extension until August 2027, with the work expected to be completed in earnest by October.
The restructuring, the NITA-U boss, Dr Mugasa, on August 18, wrote to Dr Zawedde, is needed for the government to fully implement the project ‘to realise the intended project development objectives, including expanding access to high-speed internet, improving the efficiency of digital service delivery in public sectors, and strengthening the digital inclusion of select refugee-hosting districts.
He further noted that 56 contracts worth $56m (Shs193.45b) had been signed by August, up from $22m (Shs76b) in April, with more contracts worth $26m (Shs89.81b) expected to be signed by September. In the re-restructuring, NITA-U floated the idea of being allowed legroom for direct procurement or limited selection, with strong justification considered, and mechanisms put in place to avoid any delays, like joint in-country weekly reviews for proactive monitoring. Consequently, Mr Ggoobi wrote to the World Bank on August 28 requesting a reprieve.
Bank sources involved described the request as ‘perplexing to ask for more time and money to implement work that was originally supposed to be undertaken but was never, for one reason or another’. NITA-U officials told Sunday Monitor that project implementation has improved tremendously contrary to reports.
The UDAP-GOVNET project was signed off by the World Bank in June 2021 as $60m (Shs207.27b) a grant and $140m (Shs483.63b) a loan. The project aims to expand access to high-speed internet, improve the efficiency of digital government services, and strengthen the digital inclusion of refugees and host communities in northeastern and southwestern Uganda.
However, since commencing on May 17, 2023, the project has been beleaguered by numerous setbacks, which insiders attribute to ‘implementation incompetence’ and infighting by officials amid a string of probes by the Inspectorate of Government and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID), and several procurements reversed by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA) Appeals Tribunal.
The restructuring
Following the Bank’s inspection mission between April 28 and May 2 ‘to assess progress and identify challenges,’ according to documents seen by this newspaper, Mr Ggoobi on June 27 wrote to the World Bank green-lighting the restructuring of the UDAP-GOVNET as a result of ‘persistent implementation delays with project implementation clocking in at less than six percent in four years.’
The restructuring consisted of omitting several project components, including the National Broadband Infrastructure (NBI). ‘Given the delays already encountered under the project, we request that activities envisaged to be completed and not affected by the NBI should proceed as restructuring continues to avoid further delays,’ Mr Ggoobi wrote.
Following Mr Ggoobi’s assurances, his ICT contemporary, Dr Zawedde, the technical supervisor of NITA-U, wrote back on July 29 detailing a five-pronged approach to accelerate the project. This included increasing the frequency of technical and steering committee meetings to ensure tighter supervision; speeding up project components’ procurement Terms of References; timely sharing of key documents such as minutes; cautioning technical staff against slippages; and ensuring transparent procurements given the frequency of complaints.
‘With these interventions and your February 2025 communication to the World Bank country manager on the status of the NITA-U/NBI as advised by the Attorney General, the NBI expansion and last-mile implementation can be concluded by December 2026, which is NITA-U’s availability period,’ Dr Zawedde wrote.
Efficiency coming
Pressed about the rationale of the 17-month extension request yet NITA-U is supposed to be folded back into the ministry in 2027 as part of the Rationalisation of Government Agencies and Expenditure (RAPEX) Reforms, Dr Zawedde told Sunday Monitor on Friday that: ‘We acknowledge that the project has experienced some challenges, but these have served as lessons to strengthen our delivery.’ She added: ‘We have instructed NITA-U to tighten compliance and documentation processes within the project office. Additionally, we have reinforced accountability across all technical teams. These measures are designed to restore momentum and ensure every decision leads to tangible progress. Citizens can be assured that the expected benefits: improved services, transparency, and efficiency, are on the way.’