Procurement Risk:
Very High
Score:
26/100
57
25/100
Does the country have legislation covering defence and security procurement with clauses specific to corruption risks, and are any items exempt from these laws?
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This indicator is not assigned a score in the GDI. The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act (2014) and the Public Procurement…
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The PPDA Act (2003) allows the Defence and National Security Organs to manage their procurement and disposal based on a dual list. It also…
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The PPDA sets terms under which the Defence and National Security Organs shall agree annually with the PPDA on the category of restricted items…
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58
33/100
Is the defence procurement cycle process, from assessment of needs, through contract implementation and sign-off, all the way to asset disposal, disclosed to the public?
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The Procurement and Disposal Unit department is tasked with sourcing and acquiring a wide range of military equipment, weapons, vehicles, ammunition, and other essential…
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The PPDA Act mandates all ministries to be transparent. Although some aspects of the defence procurement cycle are disclosed (weapons, vehicles and other essential…
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The MoDVA uses the local media when calling for open bids. There are also adverts on the website of the UPDF. Policies and procedures…
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59
50/100
Are defence procurement oversight mechanisms in place and are these oversight mechanisms active and transparent?
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There are formalised independent oversight bodies which oversee procurement activities in the Ministry of Defence. These include the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public…
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The PPDA Act (Cap. 205) establishes PPDA as the principal regulator, issuing rules and overseeing compliance across MDAs, including MoDVA. PPDA continues to update…
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Oversight of defence procurement in Uganda is carried out by multiple institutions — the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), the…
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The limited public availability of UPDF policies, coupled with the outdated nature of the 2004 white paper on defence transformation, creates a significant challenge…
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There are few notices of planned purchases, but details of planned purchases are not made public because they are classified [2]. In Uganda, potential…
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Defence purchases are not made public because most of the time these purchases fall under classified budget/expenditure. MoDVA does not publish aggregated figures for…
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The absence of disaggregated information on UPDF expenditure, particularly concerning military purchases, is a significant obstacle to transparency and public accountability. The classification of…
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62
50/100
What procedures and standards are companies required to have – such as compliance programmes and business conduct programmes – in order to be able to bid for work for the Ministry of Defence or armed forces?
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Section 70 of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act (PPDA) provides the basic qualifications of bidders. It states that a procuring…
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The classification of military purchases often allows the UPDF to bypass standard procurement procedures, citing national security concerns. This effectively renders the PPDA guidelines…
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63
8/100
Are procurement requirements derived from a national defence and security strategy, and are procurement decisions well-audited? Are defence purchases based on clearly identified and quantified requirements?
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The inherent tension between national security imperatives and transparent procurement practices creates an environment where adherence to established guidelines can be selectively applied. The…
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The Parliamentary Committee of Defence & Internal Affairs scrutinises the accounts of the MoDVA. For instance, this information is captured in the report of…
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The PPDA Act governs procurement processes of purchases by the UPDF. The Defence Forces Standing Orders contain internal regulations governing UPDF procurement. However, urgent…
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64
13/100
Is defence procurement generally conducted as open competition or is there a significant element of single-sourcing (that is, without competition)?
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Most defence procurements are often made through single sourcing, without competition. This means that contracts are awarded to a preferred supplier or contractor without…
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The PPDA conducts procurement and disposal audits, which extend to classified expenditure within the MoDVA is a crucial oversight mechanism. The submission of these…
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65
44/100
Are tender boards subject to regulations and codes of conduct and are their decisions subject to independent audit to ensure due process and fairness?
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Section 37 (6) of the PPDA Act, mandates the Evaluation Committee members to sign a Code of Ethics and declare the absence of conflicts…
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The PPDA Act and Regulations require procuring entities to maintain a complete audit trail documenting all stages of the procurement process — from needs…
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The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) requires all public procurement entities, including the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MoDVA),…
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The involvement of the Auditor General’s office and the PPDA in auditing and reviewing UPDF procurement processes provides a layer of robust external verification.…
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66
50/100
Does the country have legislation in place to discourage and punish collusion between bidders for defence and security contracts?
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Section 95, (1a) of the PPDA Act states that a person who— (d) connives or colludes to commit a fraudulent act or a corrupt…
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Section 94 of the PPDA Act (2003) [1] provides for the suspension of providers. It states that the Authority may on the recommendation of…
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The PPDA has the mandate to regulate and enforce procurement regulations in all government entities including the UPDF. However, the extent of enforcement by…
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The UPDF has taken steps to improve the professionalism of its procurement staff by participating in training programs run by the PPDA and international…
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67
38/100
Are there mechanisms and procedures that ensure that contractors meet their obligations on reporting and delivery?
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Section 93(2) of the PPDA Act, states that all providers of works, services, or supplies shall be required to sign a declaration of compliance…
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The maintenance of records by the PPDA that includes UPDF contracts is a step towards transparency. However, UPDF contracts often involve sensitive information related…
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The PPDA conducts periodic procurement and contract audits, including in the MoDVA, to assess compliance with contractual terms and value for money. Its 2023…
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Under Uganda’s PPDA framework, breaches of contract (non-delivery, substandard performance, misrepresentation) are first handled by the procuring entity through its internal structures (Contracts Committee,…
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68
58/100
Are there mechanisms in place to allow companies to complain about perceived malpractice in procurement, and are companies protected from discrimination when they use these mechanisms?
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The PPDA Act provides a structured administrative review process for bidders who believe that a procuring and disposing entity (PDE) has breached procurement laws,…
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The PPDA complaints handling mechanism provides companies with an avenue to raise concerns about procurement processes, while the Inspectorate of Government’s whistleblower protection mechanism…
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Retaliation against companies that file complaints or report malpractices in procurement, including UPDF procurement, can take various forms, such as blacklisting, debarment from future…
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Section 95 of PPDA, (1c-1g) lays out the sanctions available to the procuring and disposing entity. The guidelines empower procurement officials to exclude companies…
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Independent oversight bodies like PPDA and Inspectorate of Government can investigate and recommend sanctions [1]. The Inspectorate of Government has investigated several corruption cases…
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The regulatory framework of the PPDA including sanctions for companies and a publicly available list of suspended entities, represents a positive step towards ensuring…
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70
0/100
When negotiating offset contracts, does the government specifically address corruption risk by imposing anti-corruption due diligence on contractors and third parties?
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There are no legislation, policies and procedures dealing with offset contracts in Uganda or outlining the reporting and delivery obligations for offset contracts [1][2].
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It is the Auditor General’s Office that conducts an audit to ensure transparency and accountability in government contracts, including offset contracts. However, there was…
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There was no information found on any monitoring concerning offset contracts in the official Auditor General’s Annual Reports to the Parliament [1]. Interviews conducted…
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There is no evidence of offset contracts identified in the Auditor General’s annual reports or any public information[1]. Therefore, breaches of contract are not…
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Offset contracts are not conducted as open competition, as there is no formal framework governing offset contracts, and defence procurement practices often lack transparency.…
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73
0/100
How strongly does the government control the company’s use of agents and intermediaries in the procurement cycle?
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74
0/100
Are the principal aspects of the financing package surrounding major arms deals, (such as payment timelines, interest rates, commercial loans or export credit agreements) made publicly available prior to the signing of contracts?
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In the budget framework paper for the MoDVA, there is listing of purchase of items such as worth Ushs 91bn were acquired to ease…
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75
NS/100
How common is it for defence acquisition decisions to be based on political influence by selling nations?
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While there’s no documented case of a defence procurement directly bypassing oversight due to political pressure, the broader context strongly suggests risk. Reports show…
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This indicator is not assigned a score in the GDI. The Ugandan government does not publicly disclose or justify its decisions regarding arms procurement…
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This indicator is not assigned a score in the GDI. There is no documented evidence of defence acquisitions in Uganda being explicitly granted due…
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0
NA/100
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Government Policy
Q57
NA/100
Does the country have legislation covering defence and security procurement with clauses specific to corruption risks, and are any items exempt from these laws?
View Question
Q58
NA/100
Is the defence procurement cycle process, from assessment of needs, through contract implementation and sign-off, all the way to asset disposal, disclosed to the public?
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Q59
NA/100
Are defence procurement oversight mechanisms in place and are these oversight mechanisms active and transparent?
View QuestionCapability Gap and Requirements Definition
Q62
NA/100
What procedures and standards are companies required to have – such as compliance programmes and business conduct programmes – in order to be able to bid for work for the Ministry of Defence or armed forces?
View Question
Q63
NA/100
Are procurement requirements derived from a national defence and security strategy, and are procurement decisions well-audited? Are defence purchases based on clearly identified and quantified requirements?
View QuestionTender Solicitation, Assessment and Contract Award
Q64
NA/100
Is defence procurement generally conducted as open competition or is there a significant element of single-sourcing (that is, without competition)?
View Question
Q65
NA/100
Are tender boards subject to regulations and codes of conduct and are their decisions subject to independent audit to ensure due process and fairness?
View Question
Q66
NA/100
Does the country have legislation in place to discourage and punish collusion between bidders for defence and security contracts?
View QuestionContract Delivery and In-Service Support
Q67
NA/100
Are there mechanisms and procedures that ensure that contractors meet their obligations on reporting and delivery?
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Q68
NA/100
Are there mechanisms in place to allow companies to complain about perceived malpractice in procurement, and are companies protected from discrimination when they use these mechanisms?
View QuestionOffset Contracts
Q70
NA/100
When negotiating offset contracts, does the government specifically address corruption risk by imposing anti-corruption due diligence on contractors and third parties?
View QuestionAgents / Brokers
Q73
NA/100
How strongly does the government control the company’s use of agents and intermediaries in the procurement cycle?
View QuestionFinancing Package
Q74
NA/100
Are the principal aspects of the financing package surrounding major arms deals, (such as payment timelines, interest rates, commercial loans or export credit agreements) made publicly available prior to the signing of contracts?
View QuestionSeller Influence
Q75
NA/100