IfG.CC - The Institute for eGovernment

The development project aims to establish tourist information centres in Uganda’s capital, Kampala and in its nearest municipalities borrowing a leaf from the example of Tallinn’s tourist information centres and service offices; introducing job management as well as ICT solutions that are used in Tallinn’s and Estonia’s tourist information centres and service offices to the delegation of Ugandan Local Governments.

The World Bank approved $200 million financing to expand access to high-speed and affordable internet, improve efficiency of digitally enabled public service delivery, and strengthen digital inclusion in Uganda.

The new Uganda Digital Acceleration Project-GovNet (UDAP-GovNet) will support the extension of 1,000 km of the national backbone fiber infrastructure, an additional 500 km of fiber optic network links between towns, mobile broadband connections for 900 government administrative units and service centers in underserved areas, and 828 Wi-Fi hotspots in select locations to support access to online services among rural and peri-urban, underserved and unserved communities.

At Uganda’s many remote health centres, putting pen to paper was the only way to alert health officials to problems such as drug shortages or outbreaks of malaria.

The government, assisted by UNICEF and WHO, have implemented an innovative solution.

Government will take a giant step in cleaning up its slow and bureacratic procurement system by kicking off a pilot electronic procurement system in two districts mid next year.

Architects say the move is aimed at curbing corruption, which is rampant in government ministries, departments and agencies. Also, the East African bloc is vying to have an e-procurment system rolled out throughout the region.

The first phase, costing $30 million, was investigated by the government's auditor general, John Muwanga, at the request of the parliamentary committee on Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The resulting 29-page report raises serious questions about the way in which the contractor, Huawei, was selected to implement the project, including the laying of 2,100 kilometers of fiber-optic cable. The auditor general said that Huawei's proposal was not evaluated based on the set standards.

Unsurprisingly hyperbole was not on short supply at the launch event. Cisco’s representative announced, “We will change the way Africans work, live, learn and play with the rest of the world”. Seacom CEO Brian Herlihy urged the African youth to wake up every morning asking them “are we dreaming big enough?” An excitable Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, speaking from Dar es Salaam live via video link, declared his country ready for “e-commerce, e-government, e-everything”.

The protocol that will become a reality on July 1, presents one of the easy to solve logistical issues through a simple standard travel document compared to the several legal and political complexities of integration.

A common market will among others allow free movement of people and labour. Uganda does not have a standard national identification system, meaning this will present the first challenge to exploiting the common market.

Mr. Mike Nxele the human resources officer at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) said "We are giving them an opportunity to share experiences and learn new methods of acquiring and retaining competent staff, this is due to the high speed at which the ICT sector is growing as jobs also become competitive."

Uganda’s National Task Force on Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has this Monday released its draft report to guide government on harnessing emerging technologies.

“The draft strategy we are presenting today covers a comprehensive national ecosystem for adoption and promotion of 4IR such as human capital development; employment opportunities; infrastructure and technological environment; research and innovation; international partnerships and collaboration; cyber security, data protection, privacy and ethics; results framework; and delivery mechanisms,” said the national taskforce chairman, Eng John Nasasira.

The discussions were centred around minutes of an earlier meeting in Tanzania last year.

The Tanzania meeting identified customs and immigration control, e-parliament, e-health, e-banking and procurement as strategic areas to be tackled in the push for an economic community based on information knowledge.

Just like several reports before it, the report said Uganda is using the G652 type whereas it should be using G655 for the kind of data Uganda will need to transmit.

The report comes a year after the Inspector General of Government released a report, saying the Chinese company, Huawei Technologies, was laying cables of only 24 cores whereas experts recommend 96 cores as a minimum to ensure that future growth in data and video usage is not interrupted.

Dr. David Nott had succeeded in carrying out a life saving operation using his mobile phone where he text a colleague in Britain for procedures and instruction. He had never performed such an operation before.

Climate Change Adaptation and ICT (CHAI), a two-year project launched in Kampala earlier this month (3 August), will generate agricultural, environmental management, market and meteorological information for herdsmen in Uganda's 'cattle corridor'.

Amid calls for regional harmonisation of cyber-crime laws, the government of Kenya is proceeding with the passage of a bill to address the growing problem of cyber-crime.

The Kenya government is set to pass the Computer and Cybercrime Bill into law after its approval by cabinet as east African countries push for regional harmonisation of cyber-crime laws.

President Museveni has given Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) ‘unlimited access’ to national optic fibre backbone infrastructure network and ordered for immediate cancelation of a multi-billion ‘unfavourable’ Internet contract government officials signed with Soliton Telmec, a Kenyan company.

The President, who chaired the Cabinet meeting on Monday, said he was the one who went to China to negotiate the Shs300b loan for the National Data Transmission Backbone Infrastructure and e-Government Infrastructure (NBI/EGI) project.

Uganda Investment Authority executive director Dr. Maggie Kigozi said in an interview last Friday the proposals follow an invitation by the Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, of the Microsoft technical team to Uganda early this year

The National Information Technology Authority (NITA) Uganda awarded the best online government bodies in the e-government excellence awards. The ceremony, held under the theme “Bold Digital Government: Unlocking Service Delivery”, was geared towards commending the government agencies that have actively promoted the provision of services to citizens online.

The event was organized by Legends events and hospitality and was part of NITA-U’s month-long celebration that the Authority put up marking 10 years since its inception. The awards attracted over 75 nominations under various categories in which 16 awards were delivered.

In theMinisterial Policy Statement for FY 2014/15 Uganda’s ICT sector share in 2014 stood at 6.0% and employed over one million people. World Bank data placed exports of ICT services in 2013 at 400 million USD, forming 17% of total service exports. IT services alone were estimated to represent 2.8% of Uganda’s services exports, with a total value of US $2 billion in 2012. These statistics prompted several initiatives of an investment & developmental nature in the ICT sector from players both local and international.

Kampala, the bustling capital of Uganda, stands at a pivotal crossroads as it seeks to reimagine its urban landscape and chart a path towards sustainable development. Amidst rapid population growth and urbanization, the city grapples with myriad challenges ranging from congestion and inadequate infrastructure to environmental degradation and social inequalities. However, ambitious plans are underway to transform Kampala into a well-planned city that fosters economic prosperity, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability.

At the heart of Kampala's revitalization efforts lies the concept of urban planning, a fundamental tool for shaping the city's future trajectory. Recognizing the need for a holistic approach, urban planners advocate for integrated land use policies, efficient transportation systems, and equitable access to basic services. By envisioning Kampala as a compact, walkable, and vibrant urban centre, stakeholders aim to enhance livability and foster a sense of community among residents.