Combating Covid-19: MPs task gov’t to give border districts more cash as lockdown goes on
May 22, 2020
World Bank gives Uganda Shs177.6b to tackle threat posed by Desert Locusts
May 22, 2020
By Julius Mwesigye
As the National Resistance Movement (NRM) prepared its shot at the presidency in 2015, party chairman Yoweri Museveni and his technical team came up with a raft of initiatives that would see the country make great strides in all spheres of the national agenda.
Thus, the NRM came up with its 2016-2021 manifesto, the five-year blueprint whose trajectory and implementation would see Uganda make great strides in the political and socio-economic arena.
One of the areas zeroed upon to spur this vision was the enhancement of Information Communication Technology as part of the broader aspects of national development.
Indeed, since 2016 the ICT ministry and has over the last four years embarked on a number of initiatives as promised in the manifesto, with impressive results, with figures showing a relatively good attainment rate.
1. Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA): As part of its mandate in respect to the implementation of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Manifesto 2016-2021, the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance has operationalized 470 government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Local Governments (LGs), out of the proposed 700 Sites.
2. Security: Over the past four years the security sector has received a huge technological boost, with the Police and Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) enjoying superior connectivity, thanks largely due to the National Information Technology Agency (NITA-U) ‘Last Mile Project’, an initiative that ultimately saw 55 police stations and 10 UPDF sites connected in the Financial Year (FY) 2019-2020.
This development comes on the heels of the earlier undertakings where seven UPDF sites and 29 police stations, figures representing 50 percent of the UPDF barracks, Regional Police headquarters and police stations in the country, that were connected to the National Infrastructure Backbone (NBI) to enhance surveillance under the NBI Phase 4.
3. Countrywide Connectivity: The enhancement of the national fibre optic network has already been completed and spread to six big towns along the north western corridor that also helps boost connectivity links to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nimule in South Sudan. The NW towns include Kamdini, Pakwach, Arua, Yumbe, Moyo and Adjumani. On the North Eastern corridor two towns, Soroti and Moroto are already enjoying the connectivity services spearheaded by NITA-U and under close supervision of the Executive Director James Saaka.
Other areas that have benefitted from this project include (but are not limited to) Kasese and Mpondwe in the South West linking to the DRC; Nebbi and Koboko in the North West, and the border areas of Vurra, Oraba, Busia and Malaba.
4. ICT Parks: In a bid to improve connectivity services to foreign and domestic entrepreneurs and innovators, in the 2016-2021 manifesto President Yoweri Museveni allocated 17 acres of land in Entebbe for the construction of an ICT Park.
However, despite some delays occasioned by procurement regulations, the line minister has already approved the feasibility study and submitted the finalized documentation to the PPP Unit for registration and it is projected that works on the project will be complete in FY 2020/21.
#ManifestoWeek2020
