Uganda is stepping up efforts to strengthen its capacity to deliver Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), with government officials across central and local government departments receiving targeted training to better manage the complex process of designing, procuring and implementing PPP projects.
To date, more than 1,000 government officials have received basic training in PPPs, according to figures from the Ministry of Finance.
The capacity building drive, undertaken by the Public-Private Partnership Unit of the ministry, has so far produced 30 internationally certified PPP practitioners.
The Unit has also undertaken over 20 awareness campaigns that has reached more than 500 civic, business and government leaders. This is critical to making Uganda’s PPP programme effective, credible and transparent.
The workshops have been designed to equip both central and local government officials with practical project management skills. Sessions cover project preparation, value-for-money assessments, contract management, and risk allocation. The training also emphasises transparency and compliance with the PPP Act, which sets the legal foundation on how partnerships with private investors must be structured. Beyond government offices, the PPP Unit has placed significant emphasis on public awareness.
More than 20 outreach campaigns have been held over the recent years, drawing participation from civil society organizations, politicians, and business leaders. Collectively, these efforts have reached over 500 senior officials including LC5 chairpersons, RDCs, CAO among others whose decisions and advocacy shape the public infrastructure investment climate.
PPPs succeed only when the wider public are well informed about processes involved and safeguards put in place to ensure transparency. If people believe PPPs are secret deals made behind closed doors, we lose their trust even before the first spade hits the ground,’ adding, ‘Such awareness and process ownership campaigns help our people know their rights, and they help their leaders to answer their questions clearly.
The timing of these capacity building and awareness campaigns is important. Uganda has ambitious public infrastructure targets. From roads and power to health facilities, university student hostels and ICT. Financing these projects purely using the national budget is difficult, making PPPs an attractive option.
Without properly trained personnel to structure, negotiate and manage PPPs, such partnerships can expose governments to unnecessary risks or lock the country into unnecessary and costly contracts. By certifying 30 officials under the internationally recognized APMG framework, Uganda is signaling that its PPP practitioners meet global standards.
Professionalization not only improves technical performance but also reassures investors that Uganda takes the governance of partnerships seriously.
‘Every certified official becomes an asset during deal structuring and later at negotiations stage.”
Investors notice when a government team speaks the same technical language they do. Yet challenges remain. The PPP Unit must continuously undertake the training as new projects, especially in energy, roads and other infrastructure sectors are initiated. Local governments, in particular, struggle with staff turnover, which erode gains from earlier training workshops.
Officials at the PPP Unit acknowledge this problem but insist that the training must continue. Looking ahead, the PPP Unit plans to undertake more training programs and expand public awareness campaigns.
For government, investors, and the general public alike, the message is consistent: Uganda’s PPP journey depends on capacity as much as capital.
Building skills, establishing consistence, structural predictability and awareness today, is an investment in sustainable partnerships tomorrow.