The newly renovated Service Uganda Centre in Tororo is nearing completion as the Government moves to bring multiple public services under one roof and make it easier for citizens to access them.
Officials from the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U), Posta Uganda and the Ministry of Public Service recently inspected the facility to assess the progress of renovation works and determine its readiness to begin full operations.
The inspection team included Tororo Municipality Deputy Mayor Beatrice Achola, Deputy Resident District Commissioner Fahira Mpalanyi and Town Clerk Alikwan Ayub Kisubi, among other local leaders.
The Tororo facility is part of a planned network of 19 Service Uganda Centres being established across the country under the Ministry of Public Service’s One-Stop Centre model.
The centres are designed to allow citizens to access several government services from one location, including national ID verification, tax and Tax Identification Number (TIN) registration, business registration, passport applications and driving permits. The approach is intended to reduce the need for citizens to travel between different government offices and spend long hours seeking services.
The initiative is part of the Government’s wider public service reforms aimed at making government services more accessible, efficient and centred around the needs of citizens.
Through the Uganda Digital Acceleration Project-Government Network (UDAP-GovNet), NITA-U is supporting the renovation of three pilot centres in Tororo, Mbarara and Gulu. The work complements the nationwide rollout of Service Uganda Centres being led by the Ministry of Public Service.
Dr Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, said she was encouraged by the progress at the Tororo centre, particularly its focus on accessibility and convenience for users.
She said reliable internet connectivity, supported by NITA-U’s National Backbone Infrastructure Phase V project, would further improve the efficiency of the centres and enable them to deliver more digital services.
Zawedde added that the Government’s responsibility goes beyond providing physical infrastructure, stressing the need to expand digital services for citizens and businesses while also ensuring online safety.
NITA-U Executive Director Dr Hatwib Mugasa said the centre would become a modern and fully operational public service facility once the remaining works were completed.
He attributed the progress to collaboration between the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, NITA-U, the Ministry of Public Service, Posta Uganda as the hosting partner, contractors and supervising consultants.
Mugasa said the centre would offer more than just access to government services. It would also provide opportunities for young people to access digital services and jobs, allow residents to submit complaints and grievances to government agencies without travelling to other cities, and serve as a training centre for local innovation and digital solutions.
Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Service, said the Government was now focused on completing the remaining works and opening the centre to the public as soon as possible.
She said residents of Tororo had waited long enough for the facility and assured them that the ministry would continue working with its partners to ensure its timely operationalisation.
Posta Uganda Managing Director James Arinaitwe also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the project, saying the centres would help reduce the burden on citizens who currently have to travel long distances to access government services.
The Tororo centre is part of a broader effort to change the way public services are delivered in Uganda by replacing fragmented government offices with modern, centralised service points.
Six Service Uganda Centres are already operational in Entebbe, Kasese, Jinja, Arua, Hoima and at the Ministry of Public Service headquarters. Hoima is the first regional centre to become operational, while the other planned centres, including Tororo, are at different stages of preparation.
