NITA-U Bosses Face Hard Questions as USD200million Project Stalls, Taxpayers Left in The Dark
A damning Auditor General’s report has laid bare a shocking trail of inertia, delays and underperformance at the National Information Technology Authority – Uganda, putting top bosses on the spot over the struggling Uganda Digital Acceleration Project – GovNet (UDAP).
At the center of the storm are Executive Director Dr. Hatwib Mugasa and Board Chairperson Alexander Kibandama, now facing tough questions as billions meant to transform Uganda into a digital powerhouse remain largely untouched.
The project, backed by a massive USD 200 million (about UGX 720 billion) financing from the World Bank, was supposed to revolutionize connectivity across Uganda, bringing internet services closer to sub-counties, schools, hospitals and refugee communities. Instead, what has emerged is a tale of missed targets, stalled procurements and painfully slow implementation.
According to the Auditor General’s findings as of December 2025, NITA-U had ambitious procurement plans worth USD 75.09 million (UGX 269.89 billion) for the 2024/25 financial year. But in a stunning collapse of execution, only contracts worth USD 2.44 million (UGX 8.78 billion) were actually awarded. That translates to a dismal implementation rate of just 3.4 percent.
Even more alarming is that procurements worth a staggering USD 72.64 million (UGX 261.11 billion) were left hanging, completely unimplemented by the end of the financial year. That’s a jaw-dropping 96.6 percent failure rate, raising serious concerns about planning, leadership and urgency within the agency tasked with driving Uganda’s digital future.
The situation is further complicated by the restructuring of the project by the World Bank, which has already seen critical services and infrastructure components significantly scaled down. What was once envisioned as a transformative national rollout is now shrinking under the weight of delays and missed deadlines.
Despite receiving warrants totaling UGX 162.46 billion during the financial year, NITA-U only managed to spend UGX 40.99 billion, reflecting a low absorption rate of 25 percent. Since the project’s inception in February 2023, only UGX 52.79 billion, representing 23.3 percent of the warranted UGX 226.34 billion, has been absorbed. With just about one and a half years left on the clock, the majority of planned activities remain incomplete.
This is a project that was meant to bridge Uganda’s digital divide, extending the National Backbone Infrastructure to major towns, deploying thousands of kilometers of fiber, rolling out Wi-Fi hotspots, upgrading data centers, boosting cybersecurity systems and connecting even the most remote refugee-hosting districts. It was supposed to power e-government services, improve efficiency, and drive economic recovery under the country’s Digital Transformation agenda.
Instead, the report paints a picture of a project stuck in slow motion.
The grand vision included expanding high-speed internet access, enabling digital government services, promoting inclusion for refugees and host communities, and strengthening cybersecurity frameworks. It also covered critical investments like mobile broadband masts in rural areas, telecentres, data protection systems, and nationwide digital awareness campaigns.
But with procurement paralysis, scaled-down ambitions and sluggish fund utilization, that vision is now under serious threat.
The Auditor General’s revelations have sparked concern over whether the leadership at NITA-U is effectively steering one of Uganda’s most important digital projects. With billions at stake and the clock ticking, pressure is mounting on those in charge to explain how such a critical initiative could fall so far behind schedule.
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