World Bank Projects: Uganda Takes 539 Days to Procure

Uganda takes an average of 539 business days to complete procurement for World Bank-funded projects, more than twice the regional average of 251 days, raising fresh concerns about delays in translating development financing into essential public services.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Markson Oboth Oboth, has called for urgent reforms to accelerate project implementation, questioning why loan-funded programmes take several years to move from approval to actual delivery despite the country’s pressing development needs.

During a meeting with the World Bank Country Director, Dr. Francisca Ayodeji Akala, the Speaker cited delays affecting projects in the energy, roads, health and education sectors, with some communities waiting years for promised interventions.

He called for a review of approval and procurement procedures to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks.

However, Dr. Akala attributed much of the delay to weaknesses within Uganda’s project implementation agencies, particularly at the procurement and contract award stages.

She revealed that Uganda takes an average of 539 business days to complete the procurement cycle, compared to approximately 251 days across the World Bank’s East Africa region.

Bid evaluation alone takes about 287 business days, while contract signing requires approximately 68 days.

By comparison, the World Bank’s own review process takes an average of 6.9 business days in Uganda, slightly faster than the regional average of 7.7 days. Dr. Akala, however, acknowledged that the Bank also has room to improve its processes.

She further pointed to the Energy Access Scale-up Project, which is expected to close in June next year but has so far disbursed only 33 per cent of its funds, highlighting the gap between approved financing and actual implementation.

The Country Director called for stronger parliamentary oversight of implementing ministries and better coordination between government agencies and development partners.

In response, the Speaker pledged to convene a broader meeting involving the Prime Minister, the World Bank, the Ministry of Finance and other key government ministries to identify implementation bottlenecks and agree on corrective measures.

He also called for faster adoption of electronic government procurement, arguing that greater transparency and reduced human interference could shorten procurement timelines and strengthen accountability.

The engagement puts renewed focus on Uganda’s capacity to absorb and effectively utilise development financing, with Parliament seeking to ensure that approved loans translate into completed infrastructure and improved public services.