The mixed blessings of agencification and the reforms thereof in Uganda

Abstract

Conclusions: 1. To evaluate if agencification has worked in improving service delivery in Uganda. 2. To expose the problems that Uganda's autonomous agencies are facing in accountability, coordination, and governance. 3. To analyze the role of agencification in the broader public sector reform agenda in Uganda. In Conclusion, the agencification in Uganda has brought distinguished development in the provision of services, that is, in service lines like tax administration, telecommunications, and infrastructure development. Nonetheless, the achievement of these agencies is always undermined by budgetary reliance on public funding and donations, which restricts their independence and sustainability. The challenges that face Uganda's independent agencies, including the absence of internal control, political interference, and loopholes in coordination, highlight the importance of efficient accountability mechanisms, further strengthened systems of governance, and coordination among the agencies. Finally, while agencification is one of the cornerstones of the public sector reform agenda of Uganda, for it to live up to its potential, the government will need to address these institutional vulnerabilities, minimize political interference, and improve the financial autonomy of its agencies.