UCC Hosts Landmark Conference at Riders Hotel Mukono to Unpack NDP IV Agenda.

By Meddy Walusimbi Omuyiribi/ Monday 31st August 2026.

Mukono- Thursday, the 27th of August 2026, was such a special day. By 9am, attendees for the Forth National Development Plan Conference organised by UCC had already flocked Riders Hotel Mukono for a thorough breakdown of the NDP IV plan by economists and experts from National Planing Authority.

Among the participants at the event included residents from Seeta Mukono and neighbouring places around Rider Hotel, a team from UCC alongside the Goldenposts Initiative and The Government Citzen Interaction Center (GCIC) under the Ministry of ICT.

The team from National Development Authority (NDA) was led by Mr. Kasaija Ronald, an economist and expert from NDA, who unpacked the nitty gritties in the NDP IV into a layman’s understanding.

Kasaija started by giving a brief background about the NPA, which was created in 2002, to ensure that planning is done at both local and National levels, to compile the National Development Plan as well as ensuring that all agencies, ministries, Local governments write their plans too.

He broke down the economic reforms undergone by the current NRM government into 3;

1. Stage 1. The fundamental economic reforms. This was the post Bush war recovery period from 1986 when the NRM government took power to 1997. The wars and poor governance had cost the country a big deal, so there was a need for reforms to revive the economy.
2. Stage 2. Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP).PEAP was Uganda’s main National Development Planning framework from 1997-2009. Its purpose was mainly to eradicate mass poverty in Uganda. The goal was to reduce absolute poverty to less than 10% by 2008. Its pillars included sustainable economic growth, good governance and security, increased income for the poor, and increased quality of life for the poor. (Health, education, water)
3. Growth and Social Economic Transformation (2010- todate) . This involves the implementation of six 5 year NDPs to realise long-term aspirations.

There was a breakdown of the Comprehensive National Development Planing Framework, which guides on the implementation of the NDP. NDP IV builds on a strong foundation laid by the government. This includes peace, security and microeconomic stability, connectivity across the country due to a developed road network, electricity generation and access, increased life expectancy, access to education, among others.

NDP focuses on consolidation and priotization to achieve bigger impact, delivering fast growth through the “10 fold”- ATM, priotizing agriculture, tourism, minerals, science, and technology, among others. It also focuses on full monetization of the economic system to reduce subsistence economy through PDM and Emyooga, as well as strengthening the private sector and Fisca realism of the plan through IPF.

The National Development Plan IV also highlights the High impact projects in Uganda today; The hoima oil refinery and the EA crude pipeline, Kampala-Malaba Standard gauge railway, Greater Kampala Metropolitan Urban Development Plan, Express ways like Kampala- Jinja express and Busega-Mpigi express. The Development Centre of Excellence for cardiovascular services like brain and heart diseases, Solar powered Irrigation system, integrated AFCON project which has seen the elevation of Hoima City stadium, Akibua Stadium and the renovation of Namboole stadium into state of the Art stadiums to host the AFCON 2027.

Bukasa port Development, studies and preparatory work for generational projects all shed a picture into what the vision 2040 looks like. Briefly, this is what is embedded in the NDP IV. The vision lives on, for us and those to come after us. With proper implementation and overcoming bottlenecks like corruption, the future is bright