The Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology and National Guidance (MoICT) is set to integrate all government agencies and ministries into one system in order to share their functionality and ease communication amongst themselves and to the public.

Dr. Amina Zawede, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, made these revelations while presenting the ministry’s Report on Implementation of the Manifesto Commitments and Strategic Guidelines and Directives during the NRM Manifesto week, which took place on November 28, 2024, at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kampala.

Zawede stated that the NRM Manifesto 2021-2026 emphasises that ICT is essential in improving national productivity given its potential to make government and business enterprises more efficient, effective, and globally competitive, adding that integrating agencies and ministries is a move to make government work more efficient and effective.

“A total of 1,694 government officers have been trained in specialized ICT skills tailored to modern governance needs. The trainings focused on leveraging data analytics for informed policy-making, conducting remote meetings to optimize time and resources, supporting e-learning, etc. We are already integrating ministries to be able to share information between themselves and the public,” she revealed.

Godfrey Kabbyanga Baluku, the State Minister for ICT, stated that the 2021-26 NRM Manifesto highlighted three critical areas that guided the ministry, including increasing ICT network coverage and penetration, promoting the utilisation of ICT, and enhancing digital skills and innovations.

Baluku added that the ministry has increased mobile cellular geographic signal coverage, laid 4,387 km of optic fibre for the Internet, and reduced the cost of the Internet from USD 205 in FY 2021/22 to USD 35 in FY 2023/24 with increased Internet penetration of up to 67% in FY 23/24 compared to 25% in 2017.

“All these methods we have carried out are to increase the reach of the Internet and information to everyone throughout the country,” he stated.

The ministry has also developed several digital services, like e-government services, e-payment, EMIS, OBRS Gteway, e-post digital platform, to assist the government in collecting and disseminating information to the public.