Uganda is online! Musenero and Zawedde want the country paid

2026-03-17 - 20:25

KAMPALA—Dr. Monica Musenero and Dr. Aminah Zawedde activated a joint operational roadmap this week designed to localize Uganda’s digital value chain and transition the nation from a consumer of foreign technology to a producer of domestic digital wealth. The collaboration between the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance targets a systemic flaw in Uganda’s growth: a high rate of digital connectivity that lacks a corresponding economic reward. While internet and mobile penetration are at record highs, technology leaders argue that the value generated by this activity is currently captured by foreign hardware manufacturers and software vendors. Minister Musenero noted that a country can be digitally connected but still economically disconnected if it fails to produce, capture, and retain digital value. The new roadmap serves as a structural mechanism intended to link the primary engines of the Fourth National Development Plan, known as the “ATMs.” These engines include agro-industrialization, tourism, mineral-based industrial development, and science, technology, and innovation. By wiring these sectors together, the government aims to ensure that the code, platforms, and devices used in Ugandan industry are developed and owned locally. Musenero compared the shift to the coffee industry, stating that for too long, Uganda grew the coffee while others sold the jar. She emphasized that the country is now building the factory, training the workforce, and keeping profits inside Uganda. Dr. Zawedde, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, emphasized that the shift is a matter of industrial logic rather than welfare. She noted that every young Ugandan trained in high-level digital skills represents a unit of economic capacity capable of employing others and keeping capital circulating within the country. The roadmap is already operational as of March 2026, with focal persons appointed in both ministries to oversee joint projects. The strategy covers the entire industrial lifecycle, beginning with strengthening research at universities and moving into skills development at the National ICT Innovation Hub. It further extends into manufacturing through smart electronics plants and sovereign cloud services, finally integrating the private sector into a national digital highway. Flavia Opio, head of the National ICT Innovation Hub, said the partnership between Musenero and Zawedde provides a necessary bridge for the next generation of engineers. She noted that students in STEM classrooms do not need more inspiration; they need institutions that are ready for them upon graduation.