Inside internal affairs ministry’s five-year plan to boost service delivery

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The Ministry of Internal Affairs has unveiled an ambitious five-year Strategic Development Plan with a strong focus on efficiency, technology and accountability.

The plan, which runs from 2025/26 to 2029/30, is expected to guide reforms across key areas including crime prevention, border management, identity services and offender rehabilitation.

The ministry also seeks to strengthen internal security while improving the speed and quality of services offered to the public.

Speaking at the launch on March 6, 2026, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Kahinda Otafiire, described the Strategic Development Plan as a practical guide for improving how the ministry operates.

“The Strategic Plan is a roadmap for improved efficiency and public value. The framework is intended to ensure that citizens receive better services from institutions under the ministry,” he said.

He added, “Our mandate is to protect and preserve citizenship, secure borders, and uphold peace and stability in Uganda. This plan gives us the framework to deliver on these objectives more effectively.”

He emphasised that the plan will ensure every citizen receives timely, accountable and quality service from the ministry, while aligning the institution’s work with the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV).

Internal affairs ministry permanent secretary Lt Gen. Joseph Musanyufu said the institution’s role is central to Uganda’s development ambitions. He noted that “As Uganda aspires to become a middle-income country, the ministry’s role is ensuring security of the country, law and order and efficient service delivery”.

Musanyufu explained that the plan is guided by national planning regulations requiring government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to develop strategic development plans aligned with national priorities.

“Regulation 18 of the National Planning Authority requires MDAs to prepare five-year Strategic development plans consistent with the goals and objectives of the long term and medium-term National Development Plans,” he said.

He noted that the strategy addresses critical service delivery challenges affecting the ministry’s operations, including prison overcrowding.

“The plan addresses critical challenges, especially rising prisoner populations, crime dynamics, weak investigations, delayed justice administration, porous borders, and human resources that impact service delivery,” Musanyufu said.

Over the next five years, the ministry said it will prioritise 12 key service areas, including crime prevention and control, border management, NGO regulation, peace building initiatives, offender rehabilitation, community corrections and DNA systems.

Embracing technology in public service

In a speech delivered on behalf of the head of public service, Lucy Nakyobe, deputy head of public service Dr Teopista Mary Wenene, emphasised the unique role of the ministry.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs is unique in that every citizen of Uganda is its client,” she said, noting that this national reach makes improvements in the ministry’s service delivery particularly important.

The speech also called for continued modernisation of systems within the ministry. “There is need for the Ministry of Internal Affairs to continue to computerise the service delivery systems,” the speech stated.

It further noted that information and communication technology is increasingly shaping how public services are delivered. “It should be emphasised that information, communication technology (ICT) and the concern for the environment are reshaping the way public services should be delivered.”

Nakyobe’s message also highlighted the importance of strengthening human resource capacity in order to support the ministry’s growing responsibilities. “You need the human resource to service the numbers,” the speech noted.

Strengthening security, governance

Assistant commissioner for planning and policy analysis at the ministry, Stephen Mugenyi, said the five-year plan outlines key objectives and operational targets aimed at improving security and service delivery.

Building on a 5.2 percent reduction in crime recorded between 2021 and 2023, the ministry plans to intensify crime suppression through the “retooling the Uganda Police Force project”, which seeks to improve policing capacity and operational efficiency.

Expanding forensic capacity

Another key component of the strategy is improving criminal investigations through expanded forensic capacity.

The ministry said it plans to expand the Government Analytical Laboratory (GAL) to include a National DNA Databank and regional satellite laboratories.

According to Mugenyi, the expansion is intended to strengthen evidence-based investigations while reducing the time it takes to process forensic evidence in criminal cases.

He said improved forensic infrastructure is expected to support law enforcement agencies in solving crimes more efficiently and strengthening the justice system.

The Strategic Development Plan also places emphasis on reforming correctional facilities and improving offender rehabilitation.

One of the flagship initiatives is the fully integrated prison industries project, which aims to industrialise prison facilities while providing inmates with vocational training and productive engagement.

Mugenyi said he believes the project will help equip inmates with practical skills that can support their reintegration into society after serving their sentences.

Upgrading prison infrastructure

At the same time, the ministry plans to upgrade prison infrastructure to address persistent congestion in correctional facilities. Current occupancy levels stand at 312 percent despite reductions from earlier levels of 367 percent.

The ministry will also invest sh388 billion in prison upgrades aimed at easing congestion and improving conditions in correctional facilities.

The ministry is also prioritising digital systems to improve identity management and border control. Mugenyi said efforts will focus on expanding National Identification coverage and automating border management systems across the country.

Currently, National ID coverage stands at 88 percent of citizens. Over the next five years, the ministry plans to achieve 100 percent border automation across all 53 border posts.

The move, according to the ministry, will enhance border security while improving efficiency in immigration services.

Infrastructure investments

The Strategic Development Plan outlines major investments in infrastructure and technology aimed at improving frontline service delivery.

Among the key projects is the Police Accommodation Project valued at sh3.51 trillion. The project seeks to improve housing conditions for police officers in order to boost morale and enhance operational effectiveness.

Another major investment is the National Fire Command project, estimated at sh3.12 trillion, which will strengthen fire and rescue services across the country.

The ministry said technology integration is another central pillar of the strategy. It said CCTV surveillance coverage in Kampala will be expanded beyond the current 5,600 cameras as part of efforts to strengthen crime detection and prevention.

In addition, the ministry also plans to automate the NGO registry system to improve oversight of the country’s 3,456 registered non-governmental organisations.

Legislative reforms underway

To support the new strategy, the ministry is also pursuing legislative reforms aimed at modernising the legal framework guiding its operations.

These reforms include the proposed Forensic Evidence Bill, the Firearms Control Bill and the NGO Amendment Bill. Mugenyi said the new laws will help strengthen regulatory oversight and provide updated legal frameworks for law enforcement and institutional operations.

Challenges affecting service delivery

Despite the ambitious plan, the ministry acknowledged that several challenges continue to affect service delivery.

Mugenyi said one of the biggest constraints is a funding gap of sh5.73 trillion. While the plan requires a total budget of sh18.396 trillion, he said the current Medium-Term Expenditure Framework provides only sh12.667 trillion.

Other challenges include human resource shortages, with staffing levels currently at only 72.7 percent. The ministry is also grappling with rising cybercrime, which increased by 32 percent between 2021 and 2024 and caused estimated financial losses of sh28.4 billion.