600-DAY PROCUREMENT NIGHTMARE! Oboth Takes On Govt Over Stalled World Bank Projects, Summons PM

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth, has promised to fast-track all World Bank – funded stalled by lengthy government approval and procurement processes.

Oboth who hosted the World Bank Country Manager for Uganda, Dr. Francisca Ayodeji Akala and her team at his Chambers this morning, said stalled projects were affecting the country’s development agenda.

“As Parliament, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening engagement with development partners, including the World Bank, in advancing Uganda’s development priorities,” Oboth said.

Speaker Oboth commended the World Bank Group for its long-standing partnership with Parliament, which he said has broadened Members’ understanding of global financing and monetary policy.

He urged the Bank to remain accessible and flexible and to continue offering affordable financing, recalling that since his school days he has nicknamed his two most generous friends “World Bank.”

“That is our expectation: that the most accessible and generous financing still remains the World Bank,” he said.

During the meeting which was also attended by the leadership of the Budget Committee, Finance and Public Accounts (Central) committees, the Director Finance in Parliament and the Clerk to Parliament, the Speaker requested the World Bank team for more engagement with the Prime Minister’s office and the Members of Parliament to understand the institution’s’ critical role in Ugandan’s development.

Dr. Akala saluted the Speaker for the reception, indicating that the Bank aligns not only with Government but also with Parliament, the private sector and the people of Uganda.

“The World Bank Group brings not just financing, but also knowledge and engagement with the private sector,” she said.

She explained that the Group operates through three arms: the International Development Association (IDA), which provides concessional financing, grants and technical assistance; the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which offers investment and advisory support to the private sector; and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), which provides guarantees and political risk insurance.

Dr Akala said the Bank’s support is increasingly focused on job creation, especially for young people.

“Our ambition, working together with Government, is to have more and better jobs, supported by stronger institutions, human capital and infrastructure,” she said.

She, however, raised concern over delays in the approval of Bank-funded projects and in procurement and contract management, which she said slow down implementation.

“Some of these things take long because there is a lengthy approval process. Procurement in Uganda takes close to 600 days,” Akala said.

Speaker Oboth said the delays had long been a concern for Parliament, citing the Electricity Access Scale-up Project (EASP), which he said has run since 2022/23 without power reaching the intended beneficiaries.

“Both parties are in this boardroom, and we agree. So why is it taking so long? It has become a blame game,” the Speaker said.

He directed the relevant committees to engage the Bank and Government to resolve the bottlenecks promptly, and announced that he will convene a meeting bringing together the Prime Minister, the World Bank Group and the relevant Government teams.

“Parliament is open to dialogue. We look forward not to a stalemate, but to progress,” Oboth said.