Highlights of Day 1 of the 2nd ICT National Summit

A week ago, we hosted the 2nd ICT National Summit in collaboration with the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance at the National ICT Innovation Hub, bringing together a dynamic mix of stakeholders from government, the private sector, civil society, and the broader tech ecosystem, including innovators and startup founders. As Uganda’s premier platform for spotlighting homegrown innovations, the summit catalyzed cross-sector collaboration and showcased digital solutions that are transforming lives across the country. With such strong institutional support, Uganda’s digital economy is clearly on a promising trajectory —one that will thrive through strategic coordination, robust infrastructure, and a unifying national vision.

Here are some of the highlights from day 1 of the summit

Delivering the keynote on behalf of Dr. Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Mr. Ambrose Ruyooka, Commissioner – Research & Development at the Ministry, highlighted Uganda’s steady progress under the Digital Transformation Roadmap. In just three years, high-speed internet coverage has grown from 60% to nearly 80% of districts, driven by strong public-private collaboration. He emphasized Uganda’s push to establish a world-class Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework, ensuring students and educators, from primary through tertiary, are equipped for the digital age.

Dr. Zawedde envisioned a Uganda where every citizen is digitally connected, where farmers harness AI-powered insights to boost productivity, and where Ugandan innovators export solutions that create global value. She underscored the pivotal role of the private sector in sustaining this momentum through last-mile connectivity, affordable smart devices, startup financing, and mentorship.

Her closing call was clear: the summit must be a catalyst for action, moving Uganda’s digital transformation from aspiration to measurable impact.

The key takeaways and commendations from her keynote

• Connectivity has expanded significantly, demonstrating the effectiveness of government–private sector partnerships.
• Uganda is preparing an AI Governance Framework aligned with UNESCO, ISO, and ITU standards to build AI-ready citizens.
• The vision is inclusive and forward-looking, linking agriculture, education, and innovation to global competitiveness.
• The private sector is essential to scale access, fund innovation, and create opportunities for startups and youth.
• A powerful rallying call for stakeholders to turn plans into tangible, inclusive digital transformation outcomes.

Joseph Lutwama, Director of Programmes at Financial Sector Deepening Uganda (FSD Uganda) , delivered a deeply reflective keynote, challenging Uganda to rethink how it measures digital progress. He argued that while technology continues to advance, the real question remains: are Ugandans receiving the full dividends of the digital age?

Joseph stressed that true digital transformation requires more than creating apps or gadgets; it demands functional digital markets where value can be exchanged and sustained. He pointed out that millions of Ugandans remain outside the digital economy, lacking contracts, digital IDs, registered businesses, or even basic bank accounts.

“The biggest challenge we have as Africa and Uganda is not that we lack innovation, but that we have dysfunctional markets.”

Key takeaways and commendations from his keynote

• Information is the true driver of economic and social transformation. Tech must be paired with meaningful content and knowledge.
• Innovation alone is not enough;  without functional digital markets, solutions cannot deliver lasting value.
• The focus must shift from producing apps and platforms to strengthening the markets in which they operate.
• Digital tools only matter when they enable real value exchange through goods, services, and sustainable economic activity.
• Urged stakeholders to prioritise digital identity, addresses, wallets, and market digitisation to include all Ugandans.
• Commended government progress on infrastructure, while calling for continued investment in connectivity and digital systems.

In an Edutech panel moderated by Michael Niyitegeka , Director – Refactory Academy , unpacked how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping education, emphasizing Uganda’s urgent need to align classroom learning with national productivity and digital transformation agendas. The panel was marked by wit, depth, and a call to action: "We must go beyond just the theme titles." 

The conversation focused on the capacity, courage, and collaboration needed to deploy AI effectively across Uganda's education sector. Niyitegeka, serving both as moderator and Refactory representative, set the tone with humor and provocation. Addressing Uganda’s habit of excellent policy design without follow-through, he urged participants to embrace implementation: "Uganda is great at themes. We’re great at concepts. What we lack is the courage to start."

Panel takeaways

1. Agnes Freda N. Lumala , Academic Registrar – Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) , called for a cultural and skills-based readiness to integrate AI in schools and institutions. With humor and urgency, she said, "Has AI visited me? It probably visited me(Education) before all of you."She warned that Uganda risks staying in "perpetual discussion" mode unless it acts. She emphasized UICT’s mandate to reshape digital citizens and its role in translating national digital policy into practical skilling programs.
2. Dr. Drake Patrick Mirembe, PhD , EduTech CTO – World Bank Consultant, drawing from the newly approved ULEARN program, presented a compelling case for realigning education with Uganda’s economic and sectoral productivity needs. He highlighted AI’s role in scaling education solutions and demanded a shift from theoretical alignment to platforms, partnerships, and practice
3. TUMWESIGYE ARTHUR , Senior Network Engineer, RENU reinforced RENU’s critical role in enabling digital infrastructure for education, especially through affordable connectivity, federation services, and tools for AI deployment. He called on institutions to adopt AI for context-aware problem-solving and move beyond imported solutions.
4. Humphrey Mukooyo , Principal Information Scientist – Ministry of Education and Sports, emphasized that the Ministry is revising the curriculum and teacher frameworks to reflect the AI-powered future. He spoke of the delicate task of balancing technological innovation with inclusive access.

The session ended with a shared conviction: Uganda must move from AI visioning to AI deployment in education. From RENU’s infrastructure to World Bank-backed reform and UICT’s skilling mandate, the tools exist—what’s needed is coordinated, courageous action.

Carol Kyazze Kakooza , Team Lead, Axiom Zorn Technologies, took the stage with a compelling message: Uganda’s digital transformation is incomplete without its farmers. In her keynote address, she challenged delegates to rethink what digital inclusion truly means in a country where over 7 million smallholder farmers remain digitally invisible.

With precision and passion, she spotlighted a hidden opportunity, the untapped power of data from and for farmers. She warned that national digital strategies often center on fintech, urban connectivity, and startup ecosystems, while rural agricultural communities, the heart of Uganda’s economy, remain sidelined.

Kyazze argued that digital transformation in agriculture must move beyond tools and tech hype to embrace ecosystems designed with, not just for, farmers. Her call was for co-creation, not charity.

She painted a picture of what true digital inclusion looks like: data visibility, access to financial services, better market links, and localized decision-making. From the highlands of Kabale to the arid zones of Karamoja, every farmer deserves to be part of the digital story.

Through aXiom Zorn ’s work, Kyazze and her team are making this vision real. They’re creating platforms where farmers are digitally visible, and where that visibility opens doors to credit, inputs, insurance, and policy support.

Ken Stober , Co-Founder & CEO – Simplifi Networks Uganda, delivered a refreshing keynote that balanced optimism with realism, urging Uganda’s digital leaders to focus on practical, localized solutions rather than tech hype. Introducing Simplifi as a quietly influential ICT partner serving telcos, ISPs, NGOs, and aid agencies, he highlighted the company’s success built on relationships, technical excellence, and ethical business practice rather than flashy marketing.

Cutting through the current frenzy around artificial intelligence, Stober candidly asked: “Who’s making money on AI? We’re not making money on AI right now.” While the audience laughed, his message was clear: inflated claims around AI often fail to deliver real value. He cautioned against costly and impractical AI deployments, especially in consumer-facing sectors like customer service, where expectations far exceed outcomes.

Rather than dismissing AI, Stober championed a grounded approach, focusing on simple, scalable applications that solve local problems in industries like agriculture, logistics, and health. He reminded the audience that connectivity is not about speed alone but about enabling systems that deliver real impact.

Key takeaways and commendations from his keynote:

• Simplifi’s success is rooted in trusted partnerships and technical reliability rather than mass marketing.
• Cautioned against inflated expectations around AI, urging stakeholders to separate hype from real, measurable value.
• Warned against impractical and overpriced AI deployments, particularly in consumer-facing applications like customer service.
• Advocated for practical, localized solutions in sectors such as agriculture, logistics, and health.
• Reframed connectivity as an enabler of impact-driven systems, not just bandwidth metrics.
• A closing call to prioritize context-driven, inclusive solutions over global tech hype.

In an AgriTech Panel session moderated by John Ndabarasa – International Trade Centre (ITC) unpacked the intersection between digital infrastructure, climate-smart agri-tech, and sustainable energy as key enablers of Uganda’s economic resilience. The discussion was grounded in practical insights on how to empower smallholder farmers, digitize agricultural ecosystems, and build future-proof value chains.

Key takeaways from the panel

1. AgriTech must be built for the bottom of the pyramid: Agri-innovation must respond to the real needs of farmers at the margins, particularly women and youth, with affordable, contextualized digital tools and advisory systems.
2. Digital Infrastructure Is Critical to Scale: From geolocation of farms to farmer registries and traceability systems, speakers emphasized the need for a national data warehouse to coordinate services and de-risk investment.
3. Green Energy and Connectivity Are Enablers: Nicholas Mukisa, PhD stressed that renewable energy, solar, biogas, and mini-grids can unlock mechanization and irrigation for off-grid farmers, while AMBROSE AHURRA underscoring the role of last-mile internet in digitization.
4. Finance Must Follow Data: Brenda Mpoora shared PostBank’s approach of using digital KYC and fintech models to extend credit to rural populations. Without reliable data, banks can’t price risk or scale agri-loans.
5. Sustainability Drives Market Access: Mabel Ndawula noted that buyers increasingly demand green-certified, traceable products. Smallholders who don’t adapt risk exclusion from premium export markets like coffee, dairy, and cocoa.
6. Women Farmers Are Underserved, Yet Central: Across all contributions, panelists highlighted the need for targeted support to women, who make up the majority of smallholder farmers but face the greatest barriers to accessing finance, technology, and energy.

Moses Nyabila , CEO of aBi Development Limited, delivered a stirring keynote that challenged Uganda’s leaders to treat agriculture with military precision and digital urgency. He outlined a bold roadmap anchored in data, financing, and traceability, emphasizing that digitization is the non-negotiable enabler of scale and investment. From digitizing the records of 2 million farmers and deploying UGX 100 billion in green agriculture grants, to mobilizing $2 billion for irrigation, mechanization, and smart post-harvest infrastructure, he called for coordinated national action.

Key takeaways and commendations from his keynote:

• Urged Uganda to abandon small-scale, piecemeal efforts and adopt a disciplined, tech-enabled approach to agriculture.
• Highlighted the central role of digitization and data platforms in scaling agricultural transformation.
• Stressed that compliance with sustainability and traceability standards is mandatory for competitiveness in global markets.
• Called for $2 billion in mobilized financing by 2030 to rehabilitate land and boost mechanization and irrigation.
• Commended the IC Program for its inclusive approach, linking women’s employment to broader community impact.
• Announced a farmer-first financing model to ensure a measurable impact at the household level.
• Outlined a bold, achievable vision for tripling export earnings through digitized, sustainable agriculture.

The first day of the summit closed not with formality but with energy — a fireside chat that felt more like a meeting of minds than a traditional panel. Under the warmth of Rowena Turinawe’s moderation, three powerful voices unpacked the urgent theme: “Infrastructure for Transformation – Unlocking Growth Through Strategic ICT Investment in ATM Sectors.”

• Ibrahim Senyonga, General Manager of the Enterprise Business Unit at MTN Uganda grounded the session in a vivid metaphor: “From a farm growing coffee in rural Uganda to a factory in the city — fiber runs through every road.” He reminded the audience that digital infrastructure is now as critical as physical roads, connecting Uganda’s rural potential to urban markets. Beyond connectivity, MTN is using data-driven credit access to empower small businesses, ensuring no one is left behind.

“Customers may never read your strategy, but they will experience your transformation,” he noted.

• Ajay Ramasubramaniam brought the founder’s fire. His message was blunt and refreshing: “You’re not building for yourself. You’re building for clients — talk to them.” He warned against creating products in isolation. Local talent solving local problems is the key to resilience. He advised young innovators not to rush into entrepreneurship without learning first: “Don’t just leave your job to start something. First, ensure you learn from your employer.”

Ajay pushed for diversification, disruption, and integrating manufacturing into tech, reminding everyone that Uganda’s digital market is alive, fast-moving, and demanding vision-driven builders.

• David Gonahasa added a systems-level perspective, urging stakeholders to see infrastructure as the base, not the end. “It takes time to bring people together, but we must ensure that we are building capacity and paying for labor appropriately.”

For him, policy, investment, and skills must converge to unlock the next layer of growth, edtech, healthtech, and fintech all riding on the rails of robust digital foundations.

The session closed with a united message: build boldly, invest smartly, and always keep people at the center of transformation. As the lights dimmed on Day 1, the fireside chat left a clear imprint: Uganda’s digital future won’t be built in silos or with small steps; it will be driven by bold infrastructure and the people it empowers.