This qualitative study investigates the dissonance between formal legal reforms and their practical implementation within Uganda’s governance framework between 2021 and 2026. It addresses a critical gap in African administrative law scholarship by examining why progressive legislative instruments, particularly those aimed at enhancing transparency and public participation, often fail to materialise in administrative practice. Employing a multi-method approach, the research analyses primary legal documents alongside data from semi-structured interviews with Ugandan public administrators, legal practitioners, and civil society actors. A rigorous thematic analysis reveals that while statutory reforms have established a more comprehensive legal architecture, their efficacy is substantially undermined by entrenched bureaucratic cultures, acute resource constraints, and the discretionary interpretation of procedural rules by officials. The study contends that this implementation gap perpetuates a form of administrative formalism, wherein compliance is procedural rather than substantive, thereby curtailing the laws’ transformative potential. The findings underscore the imperative of moving beyond legislative drafting to actively cultivate an enabling administrative culture. This research contributes to the African administrative law discourse by demonstrating the centrality of institutional behaviour and socio-legal context in realising governance objectives, offering insights pertinent to other jurisdictions undergoing analogous legal transitions on the continent.