ENTEBBE — The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has broken ground for the construction of a new Statistics House in Entebbe, a facility expected to strengthen Uganda’s capacity to produce, process and disseminate reliable official statistics for national development.
The groundbreaking ceremony, held on Thursday, was presided over by Hon. Henry Musasizi, Minister of State for General Duties at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, who described the project as a major investment in Uganda’s statistical systems and evidence-based decision-making.
The new facility will host a modern data processing centre, a Data Science and Innovation Hub, statistical training facilities, conference spaces and offices to support census, survey and regional operations.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Musasizi congratulated UBOS leadership, the board and management for reaching the construction stage after years of planning.
“I want to begin by congratulating the UBOS leadership, the board and management for spearheading this project. I know we have come from far to reach this stage, and it is because of the focus, resilience and commitment of the leadership that we are here today to commence construction of these offices.”
Musasizi praised UBOS for its progress, including conducting Uganda’s first digital census.
“Most importantly, I commend you for conducting Uganda’s first digital census. That is a major milestone,” he said. “They delivered the first major digital census in this country. They also informed me that UBOS is ranked among the best statistical institutions in the region, in addition to achieving several other milestones.”
The minister said the transformation of UBOS demonstrates the importance of strong institutions in delivering government priorities.
He recalled that the institution had previously faced challenges related to compliance, internal conflicts and low staff morale.
“Five years ago, when Hon. Lugoloobi first interacted with UBOS, the institution was facing challenges related to compliance, internal conflicts, low staff morale and other organisational issues,” Musasizi said.
“But today, UBOS is a different institution. The staff work together, they are united, and morale has improved. That is the kind of transformation we want to see in our institutions.”
He said government would continue supporting UBOS to provide reliable statistics needed for national planning. “As government, we committed to providing the necessary support to enable UBOS to continue giving us reliable information. We call it evidence-based decision-making,” Musasizi said.
He welcomed UBOS’ ambition to host the East African Statistics Bureau, saying government would support efforts to advance the bid.
“We shall explore all available avenues to support this ambition. We understand that hosting such a regional institution requires advocacy, negotiation and justification. We shall work together to present Uganda’s case when we engage with the region,” he said.
Facility to Transform Uganda’s Statistical Capacity
UBOS Board Chairman Mr Albert Byamugisha said the construction of Statistics House marks a significant milestone in strengthening Uganda’s national statistical system.
“The groundbreaking of Statistics House represents a major milestone in UBOS’ commitment to building a stronger and more sustainable national statistical system,” Byamugisha said.
He said the investment reflects the growing importance of statistics in shaping government policies and development programmes. “This investment reflects the confidence placed in UBOS and the importance of statistics in shaping Uganda’s policies, programmes and development agenda,” he said.
Byamugisha said the facility would also support Uganda’s ambition to host a regional statistics institution.
“The new Statistics House will strengthen Uganda’s readiness to host the East African Statistics Bureau, creating opportunities for regional collaboration, knowledge exchange, employment and economic growth,” he said.
Data Centre, AI Hub to Drive Future Statistics
UBOS Executive Director Dr Chris N. Mukiza said the new facility will modernise Uganda’s statistical value chain and expand the institution’s ability to produce timely and relevant data.
He said the Statistics House will include an in-service training centre to build statistical capacity among government institutions, local governments and civil society organisations.
“The facility will include a Statistics In-Service Training Centre to equip UBOS staff and stakeholders across the National Statistical System, including government institutions, local governments and civil society with essential statistical skills,” Dr Mukiza said.
He added that the building will serve as a coordination and collaboration hub. “Statistics House will also serve as a hub for collaboration and coordination. The facility will include state-of-the-art conference facilities for major engagements, as well as offices to coordinate censuses, surveys and UBOS regional operations,” he said.
He said the facility will position Uganda to better support policy formulation and development planning. “The modern Entebbe office facility will strengthen the country’s statistical system and position Uganda to better support evidence-based planning, policy formulation and national development. It will be a centre for Uganda’s data transformation,” Mukiza said.
A key component of the facility will be a modern data processing centre, which he said would eliminate the need for temporary spaces during major statistical exercises. “The facility will end the need to hire temporary spaces during census periods,” he said.
Dr Mukiza added that the Data Science and Innovation Hub would allow UBOS to embrace emerging technologies. “This is the future of statistics driven by innovation, hosting a Data Science and Innovation Hub where emerging technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence will be harnessed to produce better and more responsive statistics,” he said.
ROKO Pledges Timely Delivery
Mr Mark Kola of ROKO Construction said the project represents an investment in Uganda’s future and pledged that the company would deliver the facility to the agreed standards and timeline. “This building is an investment in Uganda’s future,” Kola said.
He said the facility would strengthen UBOS’ ability to generate data that informs national decisions. “We have listened to those comments and have challenged ourselves. The project will be delivered to the highest standards and on schedule,” he said.
ROKO Construction is expected to complete and hand over the Statistics House within three years.
