Uganda's Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first financial intelligence unit in Africa to obtain ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification. This certification, attained in September 2026, demonstrates that the FIA's information security management systems meet an internationally recognised standard. The achievement was made public on Thursday, October 29, at the FIA headquarters in Kampala during a ceremony overseen by Henry Musasizi, the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
The ISO certification provides independent recognition that the FIA's information security management systems meet an internationally recognised standard. The framework covers how organisations identify information security risks and protect data against unauthorised access, loss and other threats. For the FIA, protecting the confidentiality and integrity of information is central to its work, as it receives, analyses and shares financial intelligence with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders.
The certification process took a year to complete and was supported by the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) and the World Bank through the Uganda Digital Acceleration Project. The project is helping strengthen digital infrastructure and information security across public institutions. John Tumusiime, NITA-U's acting director for information security services, said the authority assessed institutions based on their information security maturity, organisational readiness and technical capacity when identifying beneficiaries for support.
The FIA's Executive Director, Samuel Were Wandera, said the certification demonstrated that the authority's information technology systems had met international standards following a rigorous assessment. He added that the ability to exchange sensitive information depended on confidence that the systems handling it were secure. The certification strengthens the assurance given to reporting institutions, investigators and international partners that sensitive information entrusted to the authority is handled under established security controls.
The Uganda Digital Acceleration Project has a total funding envelope of $160 million from the World Bank, with support directed at strengthening digital services and information security. The project is supporting other public institutions, including the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority, Insurance Regulatory Authority, Personal Data Protection Office and National Drug Authority, among others.
The FIA's achievement comes as Uganda prepares for the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) 2028 mutual evaluation, which will assess the country's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework. Uganda was removed from the FATF grey list in 2024 after addressing deficiencies identified in its financial crime prevention systems. Maintaining that progress will require continued coordination among regulators, financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and the judiciary.
The FIA has also launched a new Client Service Charter intended to improve accountability, transparency and service delivery to the institutions and individuals it works with. The charter sets out service standards, timelines, channels for complaints and mechanisms for measuring performance. Together, the certification and charter represent two aspects of the FIA's institutional responsibilities: safeguarding the sensitive information it receives and improving the way it serves the organisations that support Uganda's financial crime prevention system.
Key points
- The FIA is the first financial intelligence unit in Africa to obtain ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification.
- The certification was attained in September 2026 after a rigorous assessment process.
- The FIA's achievement is significant as Uganda prepares for the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) 2028 mutual evaluation.
