Special Forces Command Hands Over UBOS Office in Entebbe

Construction works for Uganda Bureau of Statistics State of Art offices in Entebbe has commenced following the official hand over of the building by Special Forces Command to UBOS management. Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony in Entebbe, Dr. Chris Mukiza the Executive Director of UBOS Mukiza praised the military for honoring its commitment to vacate the buildings once its new headquarters became operational. “We are happy that you willingly handed them back to us without any bullets being shot,” Dr. Mukiza remarked. “We are very grateful and want you to take our gratitude to the commanders of the Special Forces Command,” he stressed. According to Mukiza when UBOS approached SFC leadership regarding the property, the military requested four months to complete relocation before peacefully handing over the buildings. The two buildings, located on Plot 9 Airport Road in Entebbe, had been occupied by the elite military unit since 2007. In December 2020, following relocation to its newly completed state-of-the-art headquarters named after President Yoweri Museveni, the Special Forces Command officially handed the buildings back to UBOS, paving the way for the Bureau’s expansion plans. Dr. Mukiza said the recovered land now provides UBOS with an opportunity to establish a world-class statistical complex that will not only serve Uganda but also support regional integration within the East African Community. According to officials UBOS intends to reserve office space within the new facility for the proposed East African Statistics Bureau and host the regional institution there. According to him, the presence of the regional institution would create employment opportunities for Ugandans, increase the number of international meetings hosted in the country, stimulate business activity in Entebbe, and reinforce Uganda’s leadership role in East African integration. During the event Mukiza expressed appreciation to government of Uganda for consistently supporting the Bureau’s institutional development agenda. “Statistics House project as evidence of government’s confidence in UBOS and its role in driving evidence-based planning and national development,”he said. “This building is a testament to the trust that government has in our institution,” he added.. Dr. Mukiza commended government for fully financing Uganda’s recent National Population and Housing Census. Unlike previous national censuses that depended heavily on donor support, he said the latest census was almost entirely funded by the Government of Uganda. “The government funded 99 percent of the census. Development partners only contributed one percent,” he noted. Upon completion, the new Statistics House is expected to significantly strengthen Uganda’s capacity to produce, process and disseminate official statistics. The complex will also include a Data Science and Innovation Hub dedicated to harnessing emerging technologies such as big data analytics and artificial intelligence for statistical production. Further more the facility modern conference spaces will be used to host regional and international statistical meetings, while dedicated operational offices will coordinate national censuses, surveys and field activities. UBOS Board Chairman Dr. Albert Byamugisha said the project represents government’s continued commitment to strengthening evidence-based planning, policy formulation and sustainable national development. He thanked Finance Minister Henry Musasizi for providing strategic guidance and ensuring government funding for the project. He urged Roko Construction Company to deliver the project within the agreed 36-month contract period, expressing confidence in the contractor’s proven capacity to execute quality infrastructure projects. “Money is not the problem focus on timely delivery and quality workmanship,”Musasizi stressed. The Board Chairman echoed Dr. Mukiza’s call for government support in Uganda’s bid to host the East African Statistics Bureau headquarters at the new facility. He said securing the regional institution would elevate Uganda’s position as a centre of excellence in official statistics while advancing the country’s ambition of becoming a globally recognized national statistics office. Dr. Byamugisha also acknowledged the support of the Government of Uganda and other stakeholders in modernizing the country’s statistical system, noting that the investment would serve generations of Ugandans. The Statistics House project, being undertaken by Roko Construction Company on behalf of the Government of Uganda, is expected to provide the infrastructure required for UBOS to deepen automation in data production, processing, innovation and dissemination. Once completed, the facility will significantly enhance the Bureau’s ability to generate timely, reliable and high-quality official statistics to support evidence-based decision-making, national planning and policy formulation, while strengthening Uganda’s standing as a regional leader in statistical development