Uganda Police, Prisons Lead in Statistical Data Collection - UBOS Report

By Evans Najuna

KAMPALA – The annual statistical abstract released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) on Tuesday at Statistics House in Kampala has proved that the Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Service have consistently produced high-quality statistical data for public consumption.

According to the latest National Governance, Peace, and Security report, the Uganda Police Force reported the occurrence of crime by category, providing information for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.1.1: “Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population, by sex and age.” Additionally, data on victims and perpetrators of crime, crimes investigated and prosecuted, traffic and road safety, and other indicators primarily under Targets 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, and 16.5 were included.

Meanwhile, the Uganda Prisons Service provided data on prison population, prisoners on rehabilitation recidivism, prison capacity and occupancy rate, number of prisoners by offense committed and sex, babies staying with their mothers in prison, deaths in prison, and other indicators that inform SDG 16.3.2: “Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population.” This is a core administrative indicator derived directly from prison administration data.

The Annual Statistical Abstract is a comprehensive reference publication that compiles a wide range of statistical data on various aspects of the country’s economy, society, and environment. It typically includes information on population demographics, economic indicators, health, education, governance, and security statistics, among other relevant sectors.

The demand for statistics has grown in response to changes in the social, economic, environmental, and political domains in the country, as well as regional, continental, and international reporting requirements. These changes present statistical challenges, threats, and opportunities for the National Statistical System (NSS) and manifest themselves during the process of data production, dissemination, and use of information.

For UBOS and Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), Local Governments, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to effectively respond to the evolving demands and requirements of the NSS, it is essential to have a National Standard Indicator (NSI) Framework developed and maintained.

The evaluation of the National Development Plan (NDP) reflected data that underlined the need to define a minimum set of National Indicators, which would later be known as the NSI Framework. Through a Quadripartite arrangement, UBOS, Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (MoFPED), National Planning Authority (NPA), and Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) developed the maiden four-level hierarchical NSI framework to track progress towards achieving national, continental, and global commitments.

Following the transition from NDP II to NDP III, UBOS reviewed the Maiden NSI framework to align it with the current development landscape and NDP IV data requirements. The NSI integrates all indicators for tracking the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs), the Africa Agenda 2063, the East African Community Vision 2050, Uganda Vision 2040, and NDP IV and related program implementation action plans.

For the subject under discussion, the NSI consolidates data under Level III for the programs of Governance, Peace, and Security, Legislature Oversight Representation, and Administration of Justice. The bureau has since published and released this report for public consumption through the Statistical Metadata Handbook, which provides detailed documentation on the methods, definitions, and standards used in collecting and processing statistical data.

The bureau noted that these handbooks will serve as a guide for understanding the context, quality, and reliability of statistical information. Additionally, the objective of creating these handbooks is to ensure transparency, consistency, and comparability in statistical practices, facilitating accurate data interpretation and effective communication among users, researchers, and policymakers.