Watch full episode via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVi_LTktwbw

In a recent Expert-Led Sessions Podcast produced by Uganda’s Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Dr. Albert Byamugisha (Head of the National SDG Secretariat) discussed how Uganda is fast-tracking the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The conversation highlights Uganda’s leadership in integrating global development goals into national plans, the alignment of current and future National Development Plans (NDPs) with SDGs and Agenda 2063, and Uganda’s commitments under the 2025 Kampala Declaration on SDGs and Agenda 2063.

Uganda’s high-level commitment to the SDGs is evident at the top. In June 2024, President Yoweri Museveni launched Uganda’s Third Voluntary National Review (VNR) on SDG progress at the National SDG Conference. Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, Uganda built a strong institutional framework to embed the SDGs into policy and budgets. This includes:

• National SDG Coordination Framework (2016); led by the OPM to define clear roles across government.
• National SDG Secretariat (2019); a permanent hub under the OPM that steers SDG coordination and partnerships.
• Multi-stakeholder Technical Working Groups (TWGs); e.g. Planning & Mainstreaming (chaired by NPA), Data, Financing, Communications and M&E groups. These TWGs meet regularly to translate SDGs into sector policies.
• Programme and Local Alignment; All 17 government sectors and local governments now align their plans to the SDGs and Africa’s Agenda 2063.

This system ensures that the SDGs are not abstract targets but are pillars of Uganda’s budgets and strategies. For example, Programme budgets now explicitly fund SDG-related programs (e.g. education budgets for school meals and re-entry programs linked to SDG 4). These reforms mean Uganda’s Third NDP (2020 – 25) integrated nearly all SDG targets, and the new Fourth NDP (2025 – 30) is fully aligned with the SDGs and Agenda 2063 as part of a comprehensive SDG implementation roadmap.

Uganda has built one of Africa’s strongest SDG monitoring systems. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) leads the national SDG data framework, consolidating data from ministries and local governments. In mid-2025 UBOS reported that “validated data now exists for 148 of 201 SDG indicators, shrinking the data gap to 26%”, a dramatic improvement since 2016. Key innovations include:

• Comprehensive Data Platform; A UBOS-led SDG data platform (based on the African Development Bank’s Open Data Platform) provides dashboards and downloads for global and national SDG indicators.
• Local Monitoring Systems; The Parish Development Model Information System (PDMIS) tracks grassroots data (e.g. household income, agriculture inputs, credit) for over 10,000 villages. District-level dashboards rank local performance, and regular citizen barazas (community meetings) gather public feedback on service delivery.
• Evidence-based Policy Shifts; Real-time data drives policy. For instance, tracking of school dropouts led to new re-entry policies for girls; maternal health data prompted deployment of more midwives to high-need areas.

Dr. Byamugisha emphasizes that “data tells the truth,” and Uganda’s shift to digital tools, geospatial mapping and advanced analytics is transforming planning. These data systems form a powerful feedback loop; reliable statistics help Uganda adjust programs on the fly, boosting impact on the ground.

In April 2025 Uganda hosted the 11th Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-11) in Kampala, which culminated in the Kampala Declaration. This continental declaration calls on African nations to: mobilize sustainable domestic financing (with African-led financial strategies), strengthen data and evidence systems, integrate Africa’s Agenda 2063 with the SDGs, and drive whole-of-government/society implementation (including the UN “Pact for the Future”). Key points from the Declaration include fostering self-reliance in financing and formally integrating Agenda 2063 priorities into national strategies.

Uganda is already putting these commitments into action: it has launched an Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) under the Ministry of Finance to enhance domestic revenue and prioritize SDG funding. The country is exploring innovative financing instruments – for example, piloting green bonds, diaspora bonds, blended finance and public–private partnerships – to fill SDG financing gaps. At the same time, Uganda is strengthening partnerships for the SDGs: the new private sector SDG platform (including the ECONOPLAT digital investment portal and an SDG Core Reference Group of civil society organizations are helping translate the Kampala Declaration into practice. These reforms respond directly to the Declaration’s call for “African-owned” financing solutions and inclusive SDG partnerships.

Uganda has presented three Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) to the UN High-Level Political Forum (2016, 2020, 2024); demonstrating transparency and sharing lessons on implementation. The country has been active in international forums (from the UN SDG Summit to financing dialogues) with a unified message: advancing SDGs through localization, innovation and financing reform.

Key leadership highlights include:

• Hosting ARFSD-11 (Kampala, 2025), bringing together African governments to adopt the Kampala Declaration.
• Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs); Uganda’s VNRs (2016 and 2020 already submitted, with a third in 2024) showcase progress and identify challenges.
• Championing Innovative Finance and Digital Tools; Uganda is piloting solutions (SDG bonds, digital investment platforms) and advocating these models regionally.
• Spreading the Kampala Declaration; Uganda leads dissemination of the Kampala SDG Declaration across Africa, aligning continental actions (the “Two Agendas, One Plan” approach).

As Dr. Byamugisha notes, the country’s evolving SDG architecture, robust monitoring and financing reforms mean that Uganda is turning “plans into real results” for its citizens.