The law governing procurement in Uganda is the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, $2003($PPDA Act$),$ supplemented by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Regulations, $2014.$ However, in recent times, there has been several violations of procurement laws in Uganda despite the clear guidelines and procedures. One notable case of violation of procurement laws is the case of the procurement of road construction contracts. According to a report by the Auditor General, in $2021,$ Uganda National Roads Authority $($UNRA$)$ violated procurement laws by awarding contracts to companies without following the prescribed procedures. The report revealed that UNRA had awarded contracts without conducting proper feasibility studies, using single$-$source procurement methods without adequate justifications, and engaging in contract splitting to avoid the requirement for open bidding. This is just enough to demonstrate failure to adhere to procurement laws and regulations leading to non$-$competitive practices, lack of transparency, and potential for corruption in the procurement process.

As a student with knowledge on public procurement laws and regulations, advise Uganda on the following.

i$.$ How the government can strengthen transparency and accountability in the procurement process to prevent corruption and ensure fair competition among bidders.