By Ben Musanje
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has challenged the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance (MoICT&NG) over its recently launched National Data Strategy, describing the initiative as illegal, irregular and an infringement on the Bureau’s statutory mandate.
In a strongly worded public statement issued on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, UBOS Executive Director and Chief Statistician Dr. Chris N. Mukiza said the Bureau had learnt of the strategy’s launch with “great concern,” questioning the Ministry’s legal authority to spearhead initiatives relating to official statistics.
The dispute emerged just hours after the Ministry unveiled the multi-year framework at a high-level function, where it was presented as a roadmap to address data fragmentation and support Uganda’s digital transformation and economic development ambitions.
However, UBOS swiftly rejected the initiative, arguing that the responsibilities it seeks to address are already provided for under existing legal and institutional frameworks governing the country’s National Statistical System.
According to the Bureau, the strategy contravenes the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Act, 1998, Cap 333, which establishes UBOS as the principal agency responsible for collecting and disseminating official statistics, as well as coordinating, monitoring and supervising the National Statistical System.
“The launch of that ‘National Data Strategy’ is an existential threat to the UBOS Act and is, therefore, illegal, irregular, redundant and adds no value to the National Statistical System,” Dr. Mukiza said in the statement.
He further maintained that the Ministry had no legal mandate to lead matters incidental to official statistics, insisting that the responsibility rests with UBOS under the law.
“The MoICT&NG has no legal mandate to spearhead matters incidental to statistics. That mandate is vested with the Uganda Bureau of Statistics,” the statement added.
The Bureau argued that its legal responsibilities extend beyond the collection and publication of data to include providing high-quality central statistical information services and standardizing the collection, analysis and dissemination of statistics across government institutions.
UBOS is also mandated to review data collection initiatives undertaken by national and local government agencies, approve statistical instruments such as census frameworks, registers, sample designs and questionnaires, and maintain a central repository of statistical reports, publications, documents and data from within and outside Uganda.
The agency said these functions position it at the centre of Uganda’s official statistical system, raising concerns about the Ministry’s role in introducing a separate framework addressing similar issues.
UBOS further argued that the objectives outlined in the National Data Strategy are already covered by established legal and institutional mechanisms.
These include the UBOS Act, the Plan for National Statistics Development, which provides for the wider National Statistical System, the Bureau’s Strategic Plan and the Data Quality Assessment Framework.
According to UBOS, these instruments already provide for the coordination, management and improvement of official statistics, prompting questions about the necessity and added value of the newly launched strategy.
The Bureau urged members of the public and stakeholders to disregard the strategy, reiterating that its statutory authority over official statistics must be recognised.
The Ministry’s National Data Strategy was presented as a framework intended to address fragmentation in data management and support the country’s digital and economic ambitions.
However, UBOS’s objections have placed the spotlight on the respective roles of government institutions in developing and implementing policies involving national data.
At the centre of the dispute is whether the Ministry’s strategy complements existing statistical frameworks or overlaps with responsibilities that Parliament has assigned to UBOS.
The controversy also raises broader questions about coordination between government institutions responsible for digital transformation, data governance and the production of official statistics.
The Ministry’s response to the Bureau’s objections was not included in the statement, leaving its position on the legal concerns raised by UBOS unclear.
Despite its strong objections to the strategy, UBOS reaffirmed its commitment to providing reliable and high-quality statistical services to support evidence-based planning, policy formulation and decision-making.
The Bureau maintained that official statistics remain essential to national development and that its statutory responsibilities must be respected in initiatives concerning the country’s statistical system.
The dispute now puts the spotlight on the need for clarity over institutional mandates as Uganda pursues a coordinated approach to national data management and digital development. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
