By The Principal Judge, Flavian Zeija, has officiated the swearing-in ceremony of five new members of the National Planning Authority (NPA) Executive Board at the High Court in Kampala. The newly inducted board members include Prof. Pamela Mbabazi as Chairperson, Dr. Ivan Lule as Deputy Chairperson, and members Lydia Wanyoto, Prof. Enos Kiremire, and Stephen Mukitale Birahwa Adyeeri.
In his address, Judge Zeija urged the new board to commit to their duties with diligence. “As you steer the NPA for the next five years, please be mindful of your functions as outlined in Section 7 of the National Planning Authority Act, 2002. I trust you will prioritize the interests of your country above all other competing interests,” he said.
This new board takes office as Uganda gears up to implement its fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) for the period 2025/26–2029/30. This plan is a crucial part of Uganda’s long-term strategy, Vision 2040, which aims to transition the country from a peasant society to a modern and prosperous nation.
Vision 2040, approved by the cabinet in 2007, and envisions Uganda’s economy expanding to a GDP of USD 581 billion by 2040, with a per capita income of USD 9,500 and 90% of Ugandans fully integrated into the monetary economy. This ambitious vision requires more than a tenfold increase from the current GDP of USD 50 billion within the remaining 15 years.
However, the performance of the first three development plans indicates that Uganda is lagging behind its socio-economic transformation targets. To accelerate progress, fundamental changes are required, including implementing innovative and transformative policy actions, better prioritization, and addressing implementation gaps to achieve double-digit growth and meet the desired socio-economic transformation before 2040.
NDP IV is pivotal as it aims to deliver the Global Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While Uganda has made moderate progress in some SDG indicators, such as good health and well-being (SDG 3), industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9), and quality education (SDG 4), it still lags in areas like zero hunger (SDG 2), climate action (SDG 13), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), poverty eradication (SDG 1), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), and decent work and economic growth (SDG 8). Therefore, accelerated growth is essential.
The NPA is responsible for coordinating development planning nationwide and advising on the best policies and strategies for Uganda’s development. With the new board in place, the focus will be on driving significant progress toward achieving Uganda Vision 2040 and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that the country’s socio-economic growth is both inclusive and sustainable.
