UBOS to highlight water safety data during African Statistics Week

13 November 2026, 6:44 pm

By Ronald Ssemagonja

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has announced plans to use this year’s African Statistics Week to highlight gaps in water safety data and promote stronger statistical systems to guide investment, service delivery and climate preparedness.

The celebrations, running from November 12 to 20, will focus on how reliable data can improve water and sanitation services and help countries prepare for climate-related risks.

The activities will include a high-level dialogue on water and sanitation statistics on November 18, which coincides with African Statistics Day.

Speaking at Statistics House in Kampala, the Minister of State for Planning, Amos Lugoloobi, called for data-driven governance, saying reliable statistics would help government improve planning and service delivery.

UBOS Deputy Executive Director, Dr Vincent Fred Ssenono, said this year’s theme highlights the importance of reliable statistics in planning and delivering essential services.

He cited findings from the 2022 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, which showed that 89 per cent of households in Uganda were at risk of waterborne diseases due to contaminated drinking water, with the figure rising to 93 per cent in rural areas.

“Although still good water sources, the water used by households for drinking still contains a risk of waterborne diseases,” Ssenono said, emphasising that access to a water source does not necessarily guarantee safe drinking water.

The celebrations will also feature the launch of the Plan for National Statistical Development, the UBOS Strategic Plan and the bureau’s Service Delivery Standards.

UBOS Director for Methodology and Statistical Coordination Services, Thomas Rutaro, said the Plan for National Statistical Development provides a five-year framework for developing and maintaining the country’s statistical system.

He said the framework is aligned with the National Development Plan, the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 to ensure that statistics support national and international development commitments.

Rutaro described the UBOS Strategic Plan as the institution’s corporate plan, which will guide the production of statistics needed for planning, budgeting, decision-making and reporting.

Other activities planned for the week include a seminar for statistics professionals, a students’ symposium, a sports gala, blood donation exercises and tree planting.

Rutaro said the three documents being launched would strengthen the country’s statistical system and improve the availability of information needed for development planning.