Sunbird AI, a Ugandan non-profit organization advancing artificial intelligence for social impact, today launched Sunflower, a multilingual large language model designed to understand and communicate in over 31 Ugandan languages, making it the most comprehensive AI tool for local language understanding in the region.
Sunflower was launched by Dr. Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, during the AI for African Languages Conference 2025, hosted at Four Points by Sheraton in Kampala. The event brought together government officials, AI researchers, and industry leaders to showcase the potential of AI in advancing education, healthcare, and economic development across Africa.
Sunflower enables translation, summarization, text generation, and question answering in Uganda’s many local languages, tasks where most global AI systems falter. Trained on diverse sources ranging from digitized books and radio transcripts to community-contributed cultural archives, Sunflower learns from the way Ugandans actually speak and share information.
By focusing on regional linguistic similarities and cultural context across more than 31 languages, the models capture the nuance and meaning often lost in translation, bridging the gap for millions of Ugandans who need clear, accurate information in the language they understand best.
Sunflower outperforms existing global AI models, including Google and OpenAI’s systems, in 24 out of 31 Ugandan languages, setting a new benchmark for accessible, trusted information delivery. This breakthrough means that farmers, healthcare workers, educators, and everyday citizens can now interact with AI in their native language, receiving accurate, context-aware guidance.
Dr. Zawedde emphasized that the innovation will enable citizens to access vital information, from health to agriculture to governance, in the language they understand best. When language is no longer a barrier, inclusion becomes real.
This milestone reflects the Ministry’s Fourth Industrial Revolution Strategy and its unwavering commitment to ensuring that all Ugandans benefit from digital transformation.
“Language should never be a barrier to information or opportunity,” Dr. Ernest Mwebaze, Executive Director of Sunbird AI, said. “With Sunflower, we are empowering Ugandans to access knowledge in the language they speak and understand best, from agricultural advice for better crop yields to education resources for localised and improved learning outcomes.”
Sunflower’s launch marks a major step forward in making AI technology inclusive and locally relevant, bridging the digital language divide across Uganda. The model has been trained using high-quality local datasets and developed in partnership with universities, government agencies, and community organizations.
See also: Centenary, Sunbird AI, partner to deploy artificial intelligence across Uganda
