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The National Resistance Movement (NRM) caucus in parliament has agreed to support President Museveni’s push for the rationalization of government agencies, endorsing all 16 proposed bills.
However, only the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and the National Information and Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) will be granted a three-year transitional period before fully integrating into their respective ministries.
The move comes as a blow to employees of the other agencies slated for rationalization, who had hoped for a reprieve.
“NRM MPs have agreed to pass all the bills on rationalization, providing a three-year transitional period for UCDA and NITA-U. Apart from these two, all other agencies will be fully rationalized,” Obua stated.
The special consideration for UCDA and NITA-U, Obua explained, is due to unresolved international accreditation issues for UCDA and NITA-U’s ongoing infrastructure projects, which are funded by loans from the World Bank and the Chinese government.
“UCDA is handling accreditation issues at the international level, and since coffee is one of Uganda’s most strategic crops, its operations require careful planning. NITA-U, on the other hand, is implementing two key projects funded by international loans. The caucus deemed it wise to allow these projects to reach their conclusion before rationalization,” Obua elaborated.
Obua noted that NITA-U’s transition would help avoid the challenges experienced during the rationalization of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), which faced difficulties with ongoing projects funded by international loans and grants.
He emphasized that the rationalization is aimed at streamlining government operations and reducing duplication.
Obua reassured staff from the affected agencies, particularly those with expertise, that they would be absorbed into their respective ministries rather than losing their jobs.
“Experts from agencies like UCDA won’t be sent home. Government will find a way to accommodate these experts within the new departmental structures in the ministries,” Obua added.
The rationalization of agencies is part of a broader government initiative to create a leaner, more efficient public service.
However, with the exception of UCDA and NITA-U, 14 other agencies are expected to be dissolved or restructured under the new legislation.
Recently, the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus expressed strong opposition to the proposed merger of UCDA with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF).
The merger is part of the government’s wider rationalization plan, which also includes entities such as the Dairy Development Authority (DDA), aimed at consolidating operations and reducing costs.