Between October 2023 and April 2024, Uganda’s 11th Parliament saw the withdrawal of 17 bills from the House, many of them linked to the government’s reform agenda under the Rationalisation of Government Agencies and Public Expenditure (RAPEX) policy.
The policy, driven by the Government of Uganda, aimed to reduce public spending, eliminate duplication, and improve service delivery by merging or scrapping redundant agencies.
Out of the 17 withdrawn bills, nine were directly tied to RAPEX, which targeted over 50 government agencies for restructuring.
Some of the notable bills withdrawn include the National Local Content Bill 2023, Constitution Amendment Bill 2024, Arbitration and Conciliation Amendment Bill 2024, and the Tier 4 Microfinance Institutions and Money Lenders Amendment Bill 2024.
The withdrawals reflect the complexity and sensitivity of the rationalisation process, as government moved to realign its institutional framework with broader fiscal and efficiency goals.
While RAPEX was intended to streamline operations and cut costs, the removal of these bills from Parliament highlights the challenges in implementing large-scale structural reforms within the public sector.
