IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Speaking to James Saaka, the Executive Director, NITA-U, the new Computer laboratory will enable students benefit from E-learning services installed by NITA Uganda in partnership with UNICEF. Among the services installed include Kolibri, an educational software that provides world class content for students, plus examination simulators for a smooth learning curve of all students at Ongongoja Secondary School. Other than providing cheap and affordable internet to all government institutions, the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) has embarked on extending E-learning services especially to rural schools to foster academic excellence.

When the Ugandan flag was raised for the first time, information and communications technology (ICT) as we know it was only taking shape worldwide.

When the Union Jack was lowered on October 9, 1962 and the Ugandan flag raised for the first time, information and communications technology (ICT) as we know it was only taking shape worldwide.

When Uganda announced a partial lockdown and the closing of schools and learning institutions due to COVID-19, avid promoters of information and communications technology (ICT), virtual and online-based learning saw it as a golden opportunity that would change the practice of online learning in higher education.

The concept of online or blended learning has been on the higher education agenda for close to two decades. There have been varying interventions from a range of sources: bilateral and multilateral agencies and US foundations.

For the poor in countries like Uganda, broadband Internet is looked at as a ‘luxury’ reserved for the rich. Indeed, the market price of one megabyte (MB) per second of broadband internet averages at $2,500-$5,000 (about Shs 5 million – Shs10 million) in East Africa. However, Byron Clatterbuck, the chief commercial officer of sea cable operators SEACOM, is optimistic that more Ugandans stand a chance to access internet at more affordable rates; thanks to the increasing number of internet service providers (ISPs) and reliable optic fibre cables.

Speaking at the Transform Africa Summit 2013 in Rwanda, the Ugandan leader said that “ICT must not only be used to assist agricultural development, manufacturing, education and the services sector but also handled as a sector by itself especially in out-sourcing of jobs' abroad. It must also be optimally applied in solving challenges in automation of machines, storing and retrieving of information, identifying of persons to eliminate crime, in democratic voting systems, sorting out the wage bill and in defence systems.”

While presenting the research findings of 2011 information economic report yesterday at Makerere University, he said that the research finding reflect frequent absence of ICT dimension from Private Sector development strategies.

This in turn hinders the sector’s competitiveness, Ndiwalana noted. He added that there is need for government to create environments for greater ICT adoption for private sector development.

The project is part of government’s plan to implement an e-government structure designed to improve efficiency in delivery of public services.

The large stacks of dusty files that bear records of all land titles since 1962 when Uganda became independent will be burnt after IGN, a French company, completes capturing all the information and storing them online next month.

Over 45 government agencies have already put information online and according to NITA most foreigners coming to Uganda were now using the portal to apply for Visa and work permits.

National Information Technology Authority (NITA) has called on the public to utilize government services online giving assurance of data safety.

The director E-Government services, Peter Kahiigi, said some citizens were being held back by the concerns about the safety of their personal data before seeking services online.

The computer misuse Act is to be used in guiding the public on using this new technology as a means of communication without any sabotage on government, misleading or exposing the public to pornographic information.

“It is the most expensive in the ministry. We got it through a Chinese loan, but it had a difficult birth with hiccups,” said Awori at the recent handover of office to Ruhakana Rugunda.

The backbone plan that entails laying over 2,100 kilometres of fibre optic cable has had its share of scandals, from reported financial mismanagement, wrong use of equipment and local contractors who could not do quality work and some of the work had to be repeated.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) executive director, Dorothy Kisaka has revealed that the Authority will focus on infrastructure, technology, and people’s well-being in promoting a smart city in the New Year, 2023.

Kisaka tells KFM that the authority wants to promote a conducive business and healthy environment for the city residents.

In line with its ‘Smart City’ agenda, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has launched a state-of-the-art hybrid solar system at Mulago School of the deaf and Ntinda school of the deaf. The system was financed by a donation from the European Union and Green Energy.

While launching the system, the Executive Director of the authority, Dorothy Kisaka, was in the company of Mayor Nakawa, Paul Mugambe, and Olive Namazzi, the KCCA Executive Secretary in charge of education and public health.

“The claims published by the Monitor Newspaper of Tuesday 29th November, under the headline, “Firm given billions, makes only 400 IDs”, and those published in the subsequent issue of Wednesday 30th November, 2011 under the headline, “Fresh rot revealed in national ID deal”, are totally fallacious,” statement by presidential press secretary Lindah Nabusayi reads.

She adds: “Similarly, the accusations leveled against the President in the same articles, are not only outrageous and alarming, they have been deliberately twisted to serve the paper’s own malicious interests”.

The good news is that as a consequence of the very fierce campaign by Ugandan social media users, led by cartoonist and activist Jimmy Spire Sentongo recently, President Museveni has positively responded by ensuring that his Cabinet begins to take matters of Kampala more seriously.

A weekly (Monday) Cabinet meeting was wholly dedicated to discussing the state of infrastructure in Kampala and what must urgently be done to provide KCCA with the adequate funding it requires to deliver 21st century roads and drainage infrastructure.

The BC's Representative Daudi Mulongo while addressing the gathering said that, "The British Council is willing and ready to support the secondary schools in Uganda with equipment in order to enhance the Information, Computer and Technology era to students who cannot afford to buy computers and get to internet."

This is largely attributed to the limited budget ratio, coupled with the healthcare sector being over stretched due to the crisis in the health worker force. Today, the doctor to patient ratio stands at 1:10,000 meaning that one doctor handles 10,000 people. This grim picture becomes real in rural areas where many health facilities lack qualified medical personnel to attend to them.

The ministry has developed the National ICT for Disability Policy as an intervention to close gaps in the use of ICTs by PWDs

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have become the leading medium for communicating, transacting, informing, educating and entertaining all over the world.

Usage of technologies such as television, radio, fixed and mobile telephony, has become a basic and indispensable feature in the lives of people across the globe.

Kampala is set to become Uganda's first smart city. By smart city, it is expected to be an innovative city that uses information communication technology (ICTs) and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operations, services and competitiveness, while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and future generations with respect to economic, social and environmental aspects. That is its definition, according to the United Nations. An idea adopted from Europe, Kampala, joins a number of other cities around the world that aim at using ICT to improve public services.

In a bid to adopt and adjust to the ever emerging technology, UCC, a government agency charged with the sustainable growth and development of modern communications sector in Uganda has equipped upcountry libraries to facilitate e-government services.

With the way modern technologies have transformed businesses and social services delivery, government has moved to adopt some of the ever emerging ICTs which will be able to modernize service delivery.

Delivering a minimum of 5Mbps

Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) through the Rural Communications Development Fund (RCDF) has launched a Wi-Fi hotspot project covering five border posts across the country.

The project was initially annouced early this year, as is to be implemented by Blue Crane Communications Limited, an Internet Service Provider, will provide broadband services at the five border posts of Mutukula (Kyotera); Vurra (Arua); Malaba (Tororo); Elegu (Amuru); Bunagana (Kisoro).