UMI is located on the Kampala-Jinja Highway, approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) east of the central business district, in Kampala, Uganda's largest and capital city.

In the initial years, UMI was mandated to conduct intensive in-service training to quickly develop a cadre of Africans to assume higher responsibilities upon the attainment of independence in 1962.

In the early 1970s, UMI became affiliated with Makerere University, offering postgraduate diplomas in public administration and business management.

Using state-of-the-art pedagogical technology, the center is linked to the main UMI campus in Kampala via a virtual face-to-face video conferencing facility that complements well with the programme delivery methods.

A third outreach center is located in the town of Mbale in the Eastern Region of Uganda, approximately 250 km (160 mi) by road northeast of Kampala.