Uganda’s planning process is encompassed on the Comprehensive National Development Planning Framework (CNDPF) which was introduced in 2007 as the country’s strategic planning framework. The CNDPF presents a synchronized and holistic approach to development planning intended to deliver long-term development aspirations of the nation. It comprises five principal elements namely; a 30-year national vision, 10-year national development plan, 5-year national development plans and annual plans and budgets as shown in the diagram below;
Figure 1: National Development Planning Framework (CNDPF), 2007
Source: National Planning Authority
The CNDPF is a continuous inter-disciplinary and participatory/all-inclusive process by which, the present and future aspirations of a country or community are systematically translated into reality, in accordance with development needs and constraints of its sectors, regions, institutions and entire populations.
The 30-year vision guides the development agenda of the country by articulating long term aspirations and projections about the desired future. Uganda’s 30-year vision is the ‘Vision 2040.” It seeks to achieve “A transformed Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years.” As such, the Vision 2040 is conceptualized around strengthening the fundamentals of the economy to harness the abundant opportunities around the country. The opportunities include; oil and gas, tourism, minerals, ICT, abundant labor force, geographical location and trade, water resources, industrialization, and agriculture. On the other hand, the fundamentals include: infrastructure for (energy, transport, water, oil and gas and ICT); Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation (STEI); land; urban development; human resource; and peace, security and defense.
Interventions for the vision are sequenced and detailed in the 5-year national development plans and annual budgets. Regular review, monitoring and evaluation of Vision 2040 is provided for in line with the mechanisms highlighted in the Comprehensive National Development Planning Framework policy.
https://www.npa.go.ug/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VISION-2040.pdf
At the five-year National Development Plan level, Uganda has implemented to completion, three of the six 5-year National Development Plans. NDPI (FY2010/11-FY2014/15) was focused on growth, employment and socioeconomic transformation for prosperity and it rebalanced the policy agenda towards long-term issues related to structural change, wealth creation and the productive capacity of the economy. This signaled a broadening of Government’s objectives, beyond the narrower focus on extreme poverty, which characterized the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) that was implemented prior to the NDP.
NDPII on the other hand, was focused on strengthening Uganda’s competitiveness for sustainable wealth creation, employment and inclusive growth. It laid out the Government strategic five-year plan from FY2015/16 to FY2019/20 with a goal of attaining middle income status by 2020 with a per capita income level of US$1,033. The Plan’s theme was cognizant of the need for promoting inclusive and sustainable development and thus prioritized 3 of the 9 opportunities identified in the Vision 2040 - agriculture; tourism; and mining, oil and gas - and identifies infrastructure and human capital as two fundamental areas of development in order to achieve the priorities.
In July 2020, Cabinet passed the third National Development Plan (NDPIII FY2020/21-2024/25). The plan is focused on building a modern, people centered, independent, integrated, resilient and self-sustaining economy. It will build on the progress of the previous plans by enhancing value addition in key growth opportunities (Agriculture, Industry, Knowledge and ICT, and Minerals, Oil & Gas) which are essential to livelihood of Ugandans and have the highest potential to generate employment, prosperity, and positive multiplier effects on other sectors. To comprehensively develop the ‘real economy’ and address the 13 strategic bottlenecks adopted by the African Union, NDPIII has laid out 18 Programmes to promote a coordinated approach to achievement of the development objectives.
https://www.npa.go.ug/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NDPIII-Finale_Compressed.pdf
In January 2025, Government adopted the Fourth National Development Plan (NDPIV) for the period 2025/26-2029/30. The NDPIV is the fourth in a series of six National Development Plans (NDPs) aimed at accelerating the socio-economic transformation of the country. It is the first of three 5-year NDPs that will deliver the 10-fold economic growth strategy, which is expected to be achieved by doubling the size of the economy every five years. The goal of this Plan is “higher household incomes, full monetization of the economy, and employment for sustainable socio-economic transformation”. The goal will be pursued under the overall theme of Sustainable Industrialization for Inclusive Growth, Employment, and Wealth Creation. The plan (NDPIV) is expected to double Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product in the next five years towards the attainment of 10-fold growth in the next 15 years. By the end of the NDPIV, GDP will grow by 10.6 percent in FY2029/30 from the current 6.2 percent in FY2023/24. This corresponds to an equivalent of GDP of USD 158 Billion in FY2029/30 from USD53.2 Billion in FY2023/24; and improvement in the income per capita to USD2,008 from USD1,146 within the same period. Average monthly nominal household income is also expected to increase to Ushs 578,635 from Ushs 200,000 The proportion of households in subsistence economy is also expected to reduce further to 27 percent of households, with a corresponding increase in formal financial inclusion up to 100%. The overall cost of the Plan over the 5-year period is estimated at Ushs 593,646 billion, of which Ushs 413,206 billion (69.6%) is contribution by the Public while Ushs 180,439 billion (30.4%) is private sector contribution. This means that 69.6% of the total resources expected to finance the NDPIV will be from Government of Uganda (GoU) consolidated budget while 30.4% is expected from the Private Sector.