Organized by GIZ_EU and the Nation Media Group, this event aimed at bringing together CSOs in Uganda to network and showcase different products and services that they offer to the Ugandan society, as a contribution to sustainable development. Indeed, CSOs supplement the government a great deal, ranging from provision of essential services like health, education, economic services, encouraging good governance and accountability values, among others. The Minister of Internal Affairs, GoU, where the CSOs are regulated, Rtd Major General, Hon. Kahinda Otafiire, presided over the event on 2nd November, 2023 at Mestil Hotel, Kampala.
To put the above into greater perspective, the Keynote Speaker at the event, Dr. Fred Muhumuza, Senior Economist at Makerere University Kampala and Director, Economic Forum, MUBS, aserted that, “the conceptualization and design of the role of CSOs in Uganda, gained shape way back during the PEAP-Poverty Eradication Action Plan and Privatization of Government Enterprises (1990s) era. The idea was that CSOs should focus on holding government accountable on providing public services in the country, on one hand. The government, on the other hand, was to get all the general budget support from donor partners, put all money into government agencies to spend on behalf of the citizens, while CSOs were to check how that spending is done and its relevancy in society.
On the event, ToroDev and her initiative, ODA – Open Data Analytics showcased some of the products they have currently been involved in; (1) the on-going research project on “Impact of Digitalization Legal & Policy Framework on Inclusive Development in Uganda” supported by GIZ and EU, (2) the report completed research on “Urban Data Governance in Uganda’s Newly Created Cities” supported by The Hewlett Foundation, USA and (3) the report of the completed “Evaluation of Health Data Governance in Eastern Africa: A mult-case of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania” supported by Transform Health International and the SPIDER at DSV, Stockholm University, Sweden.
