The Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda, has reported mixed performance in the implementation of 23 strategic directives issued by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni since 2016, noting that most government agencies are yet to meet the required execution standards for national transformation.
Speaking on Thursday while chairing a pre-APEX meeting at Sheraton Kampala Hotel, Babalanda said the session reviewed progress on presidential directives issued by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and re-issued in July 2021 for execution by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) through Cabinet structures.
She said the evaluation was intended to assess results, identify implementation gaps, and guide the next phase of government action as the new administration prepares to receive updated directives from the Head of State.
“The President, as the chief executive of this country and the fountain of honour, sees far where most of us cannot and do not see. He strategically plans for and guides the country’s development trajectory,” Babalanda said, stressing that presidential directives represent a structured national vision that must be prioritised in government planning.
She added that failure to prioritise these directives amounts to slowing down the President’s development agenda, urging accounting officers and technical officials to treat implementation as a core responsibility rather than a secondary task.
According to the assessment presented at the meeting, the overall performance of the 23 directives showed limited progress. Only 2 directives, representing 9 percent, were fully achieved, while 1 directive (4 percent) performed above average.
A majority—9 directives (39 percent)—were rated average, 8 directives (35 percent) were below average, and 3 directives (13 percent) were not achieved.
Babalanda noted that while some progress had been recorded across different sectors, the implementation process remained constrained by a series of structural challenges, including delayed financing, weak coordination between institutions, land acquisition disputes, limited project preparedness, delayed counterpart funding, and infrastructure bottlenecks.
She also pointed to recurring issues affecting large national projects, including complications linked to people affected by projects (PAPs), particularly where land earmarked for development is re-occupied, creating setbacks in execution timelines.
On flagship initiatives such as the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), she acknowledged external regional linkages, noting that such projects have cross-border implications involving neighbouring economies like Kenya.
However, she emphasized that internal inefficiencies continue to worsen delays.
Babalanda further cited concerns over state-owned enterprises, including Uganda Airlines, warning that strategic government investments must be protected from operational inefficiencies that undermine long-term viability.
She reaffirmed that the current government theme, “Kisanja: No more sleeping and no corruption,” signals a renewed push for discipline, efficiency, and accountability across all MDAs.
“The overall implementation of the 23 Presidential Strategic Guidelines and Directives registered moderate progress but remained below the level required to achieve structural transformation,” she said, adding that the findings will be compiled and presented to the President for further guidance.
Babalanda urged government officials to focus on measurable results, stressing that the effectiveness of public institutions will determine the country’s ability to achieve its development agenda under the current administration.