World Bank in a row with Uganda over stalled $200m internet project, report reveals
The World Bank is unhappy with the delay the Ugandan government is attaching to a deal signed in 2021 to create strong internet access for the country which was pegged at $200 million (Shs750 billion).
In an exclusive news report filed by Monitor, since last November, NITA-U officials have slowed the clearance of terms of reference for two contracts valued at $34 million (Shs127 billion). These contracts are intended for bulk Internet and the National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI) project, which aims to enhance fast Internet access across government offices.
NITA-U, the statutory body responsible for coordinating government IT services, is the implementing agency for the Uganda Digital Acceleration Project (UDAP). Launched in 2021, UDAP includes a $60 million grant and a $140 million loan.
In the latest development, reliable sources informed the Monitor that World Bank officials have repeatedly expressed concerns during project review meetings about NITA-U's prolonged delays in clearing key contracts for the project.
“When the ToRs for every component are generated, they go through the committees for review and then shared with the World Bank and then sent back to NITA-U to initiate procurement. It is now apparent they tend to sit on bid documents and contracts,” the Monitor's sources revealed, pointing to another procurement that has remained pending since last September.
The World Bank further reverted through an email that “As part of the routine Implementation Support Mission for Uganda Digital Acceleration Project (UDAP-GovNet), the Bank has been discussing the status of the implementation with project stakeholders and approaches to fast-track implementation of the UDAP-GovNet project.”
A request to NITA-U’s Communication Manager Florence Mukankusi to disprove or ascertain the World Bank's position has, however, gone unanswered.
