The fate of over 1,400 employees of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) hangs in the balance after the Executive directed that the UNRA Repeal Bill 2024 be reintroduced in Parliament to address MPs’ concerns. The ultimate goal is to merge the agency into its parent Ministry of Works and Transport.
This directive comes just two months after Members of Parliament (MPs) halted the merger of UNRA. However, MPs Denis Oguzu (Maracha, FDC) and Muhammad Nsereko (Kampala Central, Ind) proposed amendments to the 2006 UNRA Act, granting the Works minister more executive powers for better oversight.
On April 23, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among urged the Committee on Rationalisation of Agencies and Public Expenditure (RAPEX) to table a bill that harmonizes the salaries of heads of parastatals and agencies. This followed concerns that UNRA Executive Director Allen Kagina is among the highest-paid government officials, a status not shared by all heads of agencies.
On June 20, Ministry of Public Service Permanent Secretary Catherine Bitarakwate advised Ms. Kagina and 22 other heads of parastatals and agencies to halt hiring new staff and renewing contracts expiring before December 30, in consultation with her ministry and the Attorney General’s office. The letter noted that 40 bills had been submitted to Parliament, with 23 passed and 17 pending legislation.
The folding of agencies back into their parent ministries is expected to be completed by the end of the year. UNRA is among the seven parastatals MPs previously voted to maintain, alongside the Dairy Development Authority (DDA), National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U), Cotton Development Organisation (CDO), National Forestry Authority (NFA), Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), and the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS).
Yesterday, Ms. Bitarakwate declined to comment, referring inquiries to Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, Minister of ICT and National Guidance. Dr. Baryomunsi revealed that the Executive had rejected the retention of the seven parastatals and directed that repeal bills be reintroduced in Parliament. He stated that the First Parliamentary Counsel is working on these bills, which will contain modifications but retain the original intent of the mergers.
The Executive tabled 39 bills on February 20 to collapse several agencies back into their parent ministries. The government argues that this rationalization will save Shs1 trillion annually, eliminate role duplication, and improve service delivery efficiency.
On April 23, Parliament voted against the UNRA Repeal Bill. Works Minister Gen. Katumba Wamala argued that mainstreaming UNRA would save Shs39 billion in wages per month. However, MP Nathan Byanyima (Bukanga North, NRM) warned that disbanding UNRA would be disastrous.
Parliament has approved the merger of several entities, including the Uganda Trypanosomiasis Control Council and the Uganda Meteorological Authority, into their respective ministries. However, the retention of agencies like NITA-U and the NFA reflects ongoing resistance to the merger plan.
The rationale for the merger, first proposed in 2018, includes addressing duplicated mandates, functional ambiguities, and bloated structures. Despite concerns, President Museveni has urged MPs to support the merger, arguing it will save significant funds and improve governance.
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