The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Samia-Bugwe and Tieng Adhola cultural institutions to strengthen the production, dissemination and use of official statistics for planning and development.
The agreement was signed on Friday, September 4, 2026, at Statistics House in Kampala through the UBOS Public and Media Relations Department.
The partnership will support collaboration between UBOS and the two cultural institutions in collecting and using statistical information, including population, demographic and socio-economic data. It also comes as UBOS seeks to strengthen systems for birth and death registration and improve the availability of reliable data for planning.
UBOS Executive Director Dr Chris Mukiza said cultural institutions have an important role to play in improving the country’s statistical systems, particularly by helping communities participate in data collection and registration.
“Statistics are very powerful because they help inform decisions at different levels,” Mukiza said.
He said Uganda is moving towards modern statistical systems that make greater use of technology, data analytics and other sources of information beyond conventional censuses and surveys. “We are now at a stage of big data, using data analytics, data science, data scouting and so forth,” Mukiza said.
Mukiza said UBOS produces statistics on a regular basis to guide decisions across different sectors, including estimates used to assess the performance of the economy. “We also estimate the economy when you look at the basis, and so many, many other things,” he said.
He said strengthening the country’s data systems would eventually reduce the cost and workload associated with conducting population censuses because more information would already be available.
“Once we have stronger and stronger data, we believe that eventually the cost of collecting and preparing the census will be lower because we shall be having a lot of information,” Mukiza said.
He said UBOS’s long-term objective is to establish a stronger population register that can continuously provide information between national censuses. “I want to see a strong population register,” Mukiza said, adding that the process would take time but would eventually provide Uganda with more reliable demographic information.
Mukiza said there was also a lot of statistical work carried out between censuses, including household surveys and other forms of data collection. “There is a lot we do in between the two censuses. We do surveys and other different types of data collection,” he said.
The 2024 National Population and Housing Census recorded Uganda’s population at 45.9 million people. UBOS data also shows significant gaps in birth registration, with 56.9 percent of the household population nationally having no birth registration, while 11.4 percent had a birth certificate and 31.8 percent had notification of birth.
Mukiza said the partnership with cultural institutions would help UBOS reach communities and improve the quality of information available for planning.
Under the agreement, UBOS is also expected to work with the institutions on developing strategic plans for statistics and strengthening their capacity to collect, interpret and use data.
Tieng Adhola Seeks Better Data for Planning
Prime Minister of the Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution, Obbo R. Josel, welcomed the partnership, saying statistics would help the institution make decisions based on reliable evidence.
“It is a great occasion for us to be here as you guide and direct us in mobilising statistics so that they can help both us and Lucas in making informed decisions on many things,” Josel said.
He recalled an earlier census in which his household was not enumerated, saying the experience made him question the reliability of the results. “I remember not the last census, but the census before this one. My household was not counted, and I really doubted your data and your results,” he said.
Josel, however, said he had observed improvements in subsequent census exercises. “So, I want to thank you because the last time, you participated [unclear]. I think the data was better, and I want to thank you again,” he said.
He said the cultural institution was particularly interested in information about the settlement and location of its people, as well as other socio-economic characteristics. “We are also interested in the settlement and location of our people,” Josel said.
He said the MOU would help strengthen the institution’s capacity to collect and use information while deepening its relationship with UBOS.
“I am confident that we will work together to build this relationship in leaps and bounds, but also work to ensure that, many times, we make decisions that are based on something that we can easily refer to,” he said.
Samia Bugwe Welcomes Partnership
Obwen’engo bwa Bugwe Deputy Prime Minister Charles Wadenya also welcomed the agreement, saying the cultural institution was ready to work with UBOS despite challenges in capacity.
“On our part, of course, we lack capacity, but we are very open-minded,” Wadenya said.
He said the institution viewed the partnership as an opportunity to strengthen its ability to participate in statistical activities and support the work being undertaken by UBOS.
“Otherwise, for us, we are ready to go ahead with this project because we think it is something which is yet to be done,” he said.
Wadenya said the cultural institution was prepared to work with UBOS to ensure the initiative moved forward.
“We hope that, as a Kingdom, we will also find a good direction because, after all, this is what we are aiming at,” he said.
The MOU brings cultural institutions into closer collaboration with Uganda’s national statistical system, with the aim of ensuring that data generated at community level can contribute to national planning and development.
For UBOS, the partnership also provides an avenue to improve public understanding and use of statistics while strengthening data collection systems at the grassroots.
The parties said the partnership would ultimately help cultural institutions and government make decisions based on more accurate and accessible information.