The mainstreaming of the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) into the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology (ICT) and National Guidance will take effect after three years.
This followed the passing of the Bill at a sitting of the House chaired by the Speaker, Anita Among on Tuesday, 15 October 2024.
According to the Chairperson of the Committee on ICT and National Guidance, Hon. Tony Ayoo, this will give time to government to effectively implement two major projects aimed at enhancing digital transformation.
Through NITA-U, government is implementing the Uganda Digital Acceleration Project-Government network worth US$200 million with loan support from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank.
The authority is also implementing a four year National Backbone Infrastructure Phase V Project financed by the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of China at a cost of over US$150 million.
“The committee noted that both agreements state that where the legal status of NITA-U is altered in any way, it is a ground for termination or suspension of the agreements. The government then proposed a transition period of three years to allow NITA-U continue in existence in order to fully implement the projects,” said Ayoo.
Ayoo, also the Kwania County Representative, made the observation while presenting the committee report on the National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
The committee noted that the transitional period will give government sufficient time to ensure no law is left without administration, in light of the transfer of several functions of NITA-U to other government agencies.
According to the report, the dissolution of NITA-U would mandate its regulatory functions to be transferred to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). “The committee is of the view that there is need to amend the Uganda Communications Commission Act to expand its mandate to cater for the regulation and coordination of information technology services in Uganda,” the report reads in part.
Ayoo also recommended that the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance utilises the transition period to find suitable entities to administer the Data Protection and Privacy Act, the Electronic Signatures Act, and the Electronic Transactions Act.
During debate, some legislators objected to the three-year transition proposal while justifying the need to expedite the rationalisation of NITA-U.
Hon. Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi (NUP, Butambala County) described the transition as regulation in anticipation.
“By the Rules of Procedure of Parliament, we are estopped to legislate in anticipation. That is a standard rule here. If government is ready to rationalise any agency, let it come here with the losses, we are ready to proceed,” said Muwanga Kivumbi.
Budadiri County West Representative, Hon. Nathan Nandala-Mafabi expressed reservations with government’s intention through rationalisation, to re-engage staff being recruited from agencies at similar salary levels with their counterparts in the Public Service.
“Government needs to first think of what the right salary for a person is. If they have thought about that, even these civil servants need a better salary to do work. If you take back this institution [NITA-U], they will demand that they are paid a higher salary,” Nandala-Mafabi said.
