UPPC to digitize Uganda's national archive

The Uganda Publishing and Printing Corporation (UPPC) has said it is in the process of digitizing the vast amount of information and documents in our stores and will build a national archive

“UPPC   is home to priceless articles of Ugandan history such as decrees passed by President Idi Amin, directives by the colonial government, national budgets and government white papers among others. To preserve this history better and make it more easily accessible, we are in the process of digitizing the vast amount of information and documents in our stores. We want to build a national archive. We are also expanding our national reach by opening outlets in the regions,” said the UPPC acting Managing Director, Kenneth Oluka.

Oluka was speaking during the launch of the activities to mark 120 years of existence for UPPC.

He noted that UPPC has for many years printed and kept several important documents for the country but noted it is high time they are put in a digital archive.

Speaking at the same function held at Golf Course Hotel, Kampala, the Permanent Secretary of the Office the President, Haji Yunus Kakande who  represented the  Minister for Presidency, Milly  Babalanda said the 120 year celebrations should be used as a turning point for the institution to showcase what it is doing, what it is capable of producing and how it is structured to offer the best service to all categories of clients in the market.

“The celebrations are very timely, coming at the time when UPPC has just acquired very powerful and versatile equipment in form of the 4-colour printing machine and with plans to acquire the 5-colour machine. Other old machinery has been repaired or generally replaced. For this I thank the current leadership at the UPPC for solving most of the challenges that we had here,”Kakande said.

The newly acquired machinery, Haj. Kakande said has propelled the UPPC into a world-class printer capable of handling any volume of work and maintaining the highest quality of outputs possible on the market.

“Even as the UPPC has brought itself to the highest standard possible in the printer industry; the potential clientele of the UPPC has been slow to respond to the presidential directive that requires all the ministries, departments and agencies in Uganda to surrender all their printing jobs to the UPPC and the New Vision Printing and Publishing Corporation,” he said.

He urged public and private entities to support UPPC because supporting it means contributing to growth of the country.

“It is to curtail the hemorrhage of foreign exchange through external printing by individuals and local companies. I therefore wish to appeal to the managers of the MDAs and the private sector to consider partnering with the UPPC because of the above factors, including the more important reason that we now offer a standard, quick and competitive output, probably unmatched in the industry.”

The UPPC acting Managing Director, Kenneth Oluka said the government chief printer is leveraging the 120 year celebrations  “to tell you a story of our journey; a journey of 120years of printing and publishing. This journey has sometimes been bumpy, but in most cases it has been steadfast.”

Started in 1902 by the colonialists as the government chief printer, after independence, UPPC became a department in the office of the president and 1992, it was transformed into a state enterprise by an act of Parliament.

As chief government printer, UPPC’s main functions are to provide printing and publishing services to the government ministries, departments, parastatals and to private individuals and organisations.

The corporation is mandated to print and publish all government legislation and documents, publish books, booklets or other publications which enhance the culture, welfare and unity of Uganda.

In other words, UPPC is mandated to print and publish legal documents for the general public.

Speaking at the launch of the 120 year celebrations, Oluka noted that from the outset in 1902, UPPC has been instrumental in shaping Uganda’s printing industry and serving government in printing and publishing laws including acts, bills, statutory instruments, legal notices, ordinances, orders; The Uganda Gazette, policy documents, information educational and communication documents, reports among others.

“UPPC’s success lies in the uniqueness of its mandate of security printing, and the corporation’s ability to deliver on it effectively. Throughout the 120 years, the government printer has contributed immensely to the printing of Uganda’s history, be it from the legal perspective by printing laws and the gazette or the printing of other historical documents, reports, photographs, among others,” Oluka said.

He noted that as part of the celebrations, they will hold several activities.