Africa-Press – Uganda. Lack of data, information and accessibility is affecting development planning for 10 newly-created cities in the country, according to the National Planning Authority (NPA).
The NPA was established by an Act of Parliament (2002) in compliance with the Constitution as the principal statutory agency responsible for the management of national and decentralised development planning in Uganda.
Dr Joseph Muvawala, the authority’s executive director, said lack of information and accessibility are some of the biggest challenges they face in executing their mandate.
Dr Muvawala said there is no standard information that can be used for development projects, adding that most data collected is “not standard”.
He added that there is a problem with integrating the little data that has been collected by every sector, while accessing data collected by private people is also a challenge.
“I am having a problem accessing data that has been collected by so-called private people; they collect data in our country, but we don’t access it,” Dr Muvawala said during the launch of the Data Cities Building Practical and Resilient Data Systems in Uganda’s New Cities’ Project 2023/2024 -2024/2025 in Jinja City last week.
The project is being piloted by Jinja and Fort Portal cities. It is being implemented in partnership with Open Data Analytics, Sunbird Al and United Nations Global Pulse, Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, and the Ministry of Local Government.
Dr Muvawala said to address these problems, there is need for the government to develop a data-sharing policy, and control systems so that whoever wants to get particular information, it can be shared unconditionally.
Ms Irene Karungi Ssekitoleko, the senior ICT infrastructure engineer from the ministry of ICT and National Guidance, said the project is intended to integrate data systems to develop smart cities through digital innovation.
She added that the pilot project has also enabled the ministry to understand the eco-systems within Jinja City, which she said is critical to the objectives of data digital innovation.
She said: “Our role is not only to create cities that are smart, but to also make them inclusive so that every citizen benefits and appreciates the innovations through digital transformation.”
Ms Jackie Kemigisha Kiiza, the principal urban officer from the ministry of Local Government, said a recent survey conducted by the ministry, noted that there is available data in the system, but how to put it into use is challenging.
Ms Kemigisha further noted that Jinja is in the 2040 strategic plan of 2040 and was the first of the 10 cities to submit the physical plan that has been approved, saying she is optimistic that Jinja will regain its old glory as an industrial and tourism city.
Jinja City mayor Peter Okocha Kasolo said lack of data greatly affects project implementations, adding that it is not easy to know how many people sleep in hotels, work in factories, and come to Jinja City on a daily basis, or the population of school-going children.
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