Systematic bureaucracy costs lives and billions in delayed projects

Uganda is not only losing lives but also squandering taxpayers' money and valuable time due to systematic bureaucracy entrenched in the government system.

Despite having well-crafted policies and plans admired by many, the country continues to suffer significant losses as a result of delayed decisions and costly signatures.

Analysts argue that imposing heavy penalties on those responsible for such delays could be the key to ending this costly inefficiency.

Kiteezi Landfill Catastrophe: A Missed Opportunity

Martin Muzaale, Member of Parliament for Buzaaya, is among those who have spoken out about the Kiteezi landfill catastrophe. He believes that if his warnings had been heeded, lives could have been saved.

“I took an investor to Kiteezi landfill, but I was tossed around by KCCA officials,” Muzaale said.

The Kiteezi landfill disaster has resulted in loss of life, yet the government continues to waste time and money due to indecision and entrenched bureaucracy.

Financial Losses Due to Bureaucracy

The Auditor General’s report highlights that Uganda pays nearly UGX 480 billion in commitment fees for borrowed funds that remain unutilised. Despite having over UGX 14 trillion in undisbursed funds, the country still incurs interest charges.

The Busega-Mpigi Expressway is another example of bureaucratic inefficiency.

Although Shs150 billion was borrowed for the project, only 50 percent of the funds have been utilised. The project, which was supposed to commence between 2017 and 2019, remains incomplete five years later.

“It’s sheer incompetence from the accounting officers. We have people who know what to do, but they are outnumbered by those who don’t,” commented one analyst.

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago echoed this sentiment, stating, “The plans are there—we’ve piled them up from Millennium Development Goals to SDG NDP I, II, III—but implementation is at a standstill.”

Both political and governance analysts agree that it is time to hold those responsible for implementation accountable.

“There should be very high penalties for those who don’t deliver,” said one expert.

At the core of the government’s response is the claim of a limited resource envelope. However, systematic bureaucracy remains a significant barrier.

“We have layers of procurement. Everyone has to review a proposal,” said Lukwago.

To address this, experts suggest that streamlining the procurement process is essential to reducing delays and ensuring that critical projects are completed on time.