National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) has spoken out for the first time about its reported closure by the government.
NITA-U says it is an autonomous statutory body established under the NITA-U Act 2009, to coordinate and regulate Information Technology services in Uganda and therefore a directive by Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary, Keith Muhakanizi that all Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) procure internet and voice services from Uganda Telecom (UTL) can’t happen because it would be violating the law.
In a media statement dated September 20, 2017, NITA-U says reports that its National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI) project has been a failure are false and misleading.
NITA says since 2011, it has successfully completed three phases of NBI in a move aimed at achieving widespread connectivity and lowered internet bandwidth costs to Ugandan individuals and organizations.
“With over 2400km of fiber laid across Uganda, a number of towns have been connected,” says NITA-U, adding: “By September 2017, 270 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Local Government sites have been connected to the NBI.
According to NITA, this has resulted into a number of benefits including, but not limited to increased productivity within government, increased efficiency in government service provision to the general public and reduced the cost of internet bandwidth in Uganda.
Reduced Internet Costs
It says that the cost of internet bandwidth per megabit per second has reduced from US$1,200 in 2010 to US4190 in 2017.
“This has resulted into significant costs savings for the government of Uganda,” says adding that the stage for further cost reductions has been set because arrangements are underway to have bulk internet bandwidth through an Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU).
Business Focus has obtained documents from Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority relating to NBI and NITA’s move to lower internet costs.
Tumwebaze Stand
NITA-U is under the general supervision of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance. Accordingly, Frank Tumwebaze, the ICT and National Guidance Minister, in a September 19, 2017 letter addressed to Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, argues that Muhakanizi’s directive that all MDAs procure internet and voices services from UTL not only usurps the mandate of ICT ministry which is in charge of implementing of the broadband strategy among other aspects of ICT development, but also reverses the cabinet decision made on July 2012 which recommended the use of NBI for all government internet under the management of NITA-U.
Consequently, tomorrow (Friday 22nd, 2017) government will have a meeting with various stakeholders to iron out this feud between government ministries.
