In a bid to strengthen government communication and ensure greater accountability, the government through the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance has launched a new program, UBC Front Bench, which aims to offer Ugandans a clear understanding of government operations by engaging them directly with ministers, permanent secretaries, and other key officials from different Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
“This program is intended to bring various ministers and their permanent secretaries and agencies so that we interact with the public by explaining what we do,” explained Dr. Hon. Chris Baryomunsi, Minister of ICT and National Guidance. “The public will also be able to make comments and raise questions —which we can clarify —and also when we sit in our ministries to make budgets and plans, we should be to communicate [through this platform, UBC Front Bench] to Ugandans as a way of accounting.”
While highlighting the primary purpose of the program, Dr. Baryomunsi said the government does a lot of work through its Ministries but doesn’t have adequate platforms where they can explain/share what they do to the general public despite having spokespersons in these MDAs. Therefore, the UBC Front Bench Program seeks to bridge this gap by providing an interactive platform where the public can engage with government officials, ask questions, and receive clarifications.
The UBC Front Bench initiative will ensure that Ugandans are well-informed about the actions and decisions of the government.
UBC Front Bench is designed as a platform for accountability, enabling the government to discuss its initiatives and responsibilities with the general public openly. The platform will enable the government through its various ministries and agencies, to account to Ugandans by going into details about what they do daily. The government hopes that this will foster a culture of transparency, allowing citizens to have a better understanding of the efforts being made on their behalf.
In the first episode, which aired on UBC on Monday at 8:30 PM (EAT), Joram Paul Ssonko, a News anchor at UBC, hosted the Ps. Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Aminah Zawedde, and the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Hon. Chris Baryomunsi. They discussed, among other things, the digital transformation roadmap, internet connectivity, job opportunities, and artificial intelligence policies.
Digital Transformation Roadmap: Paving the way towards Vision 2040 and NDP III
The Digital Transformation Roadmap launched in August 2023 by Vice President, H.E Jessica Alupo, builds on commitments set under the Digital Uganda Vision by focusing on imperatives to achieve operational momentum and make great strides that translate from paper to action. It is structured around five critical pillars:
- Digital Infrastructure, and Accessibility: This pillar aims to provide universal and cost-effective access to digital tools, bridging the gap between urban and rural areas, and ensuring every Ugandan can access the worldwide digital network.
- Digital Services: The plan envisions a revamped Ugandan public service framework through digital innovations to simplify procedures, minimize administrative hold-ups, and boost citizen satisfaction in essential areas like health, education, transport, and farming.
- Cyber Safety, Data Security, and Confidentiality: In today’s world of frequent data violations, this pillar emphasizes the need for strong cyber protection and fostering digital awareness to safeguard citizens’ information.
- Digital Skilling: Recognizing that the digitally skilled will lead the future, this pillar concentrates on equipping Ugandans with digital expertise, ensuring they remain competitive on a global scale.
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Promoting Indigenous solutions and celebrating innovators, this pillar nurtures a favorable environment for creativity, aiming to shift Uganda from a digital user to a notable digital influencer globally.
The digital transformation roadmap is not merely another stand-alone vision but serves as a practical guide that steers the country towards the broader goals of Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan III (NDP III). The Ps. Ministry of ICT and National Guidance; Dr. Aminah Zawedde emphasized the roadmap’s importance in translating long-term aspirations into actionable steps.
“The digital transformation roadmap is aligned with our digital vision of ensuring a digitally enabled country to make our citizens better citizens,” said Dr. Zawedde. “This five-year roadmap outlines key priorities that the government will focus on to achieve its digital objectives,” she added —emphasizing that as each five-year phase progresses, the government will continue to measure and evaluate progress, with the ultimate aim of ensuring sufficient digital infrastructure by 2040.
One of the key priorities within the roadmap is the expansion of digital infrastructure, particularly to underserved areas of the country. The government is implementing digital infrastructure to ensure connectivity across the country. The connectivity is vital for enabling nationwide access to digital services and ensuring no region or citizen is left behind.
Cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy are also central to the roadmap’s agenda. As Uganda transitions into a more digitally driven society, protecting citizens’ data and ensuring a secure online environment is paramount. “We have to ensure that we are operating in a secure environment,” said Dr. Zawedde. “People are sensitized and aware,” she added —pointing out that these are increasingly critical issues as more services are moved online.
In addition to infrastructure and cybersecurity, the roadmap also focuses on digital skills development and fostering innovation.
Digital skilling as well as taking care of the innovation space – innovation and entrepreneurship – is key.
The digital transformation roadmap also aligns with the National Development Plan III, which shares a common goal of driving economic transformation through digitalization. The two plans complement each other, ensuring that Uganda’s economic growth is rooted in digital advancement.
See also: The Inaugural ICT National Summit will leverage the digital transformation roadmap, says ICTAU boss
Government on track to achieve 90% broadband coverage
Dr. Baryomunsi reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that 90% of Uganda is covered by broadband within the next five years. “We have a National Broadband Policy of 2018 which we put in place as a Ministry that guides on how we are going to expand,” he said. This ambitious target is part of a broader national strategy that is aimed at enhancing the country’s digital infrastructure to support economic growth and accessibility to information.
The National Broadband Policy, established in 2018, provides a roadmap for the country’s ICT development. It requires telecommunication companies and other service providers to ensure widespread coverage within specific timelines. “Companies, partners, and service providers who come to provide ICT-related services in Uganda are commanded by policy to cover up to 90% within five years,” the Minister emphasized. The remaining 10% of coverage, he noted will be funded by the government.
One of the cornerstones of the Ministry’s plan is the continued expansion of the National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI), which is the country’s main optical fiber network. Four phases have been completed covering over 50% of the country —and now it is in the fifth phase which focuses on extending coverage to the remaining parts of the country —while working on the last-mile connection which will focus on connecting government district offices and sub-county offices.
Dr. Baryomunsi is confident that the broadband expansion will be completed in the next few years. “In the coming two to three years, we should be able to see the country covered in terms of broadband connectivity,” he affirmed, adding that private actors are continuously licensed to ensure they also contribute to the nation’s broadband efforts.
The government’s ICT agenda is to create 30,000 jobs for youth annually
To combat unemployment, particularly among the youth, the Ministry has outlined ambitious plans to create over 30,000 direct jobs annually through ICT. “One of our objectives and targets is to use technology, and ICT to create jobs for our young people,” Dr. Baryomunsi explained, noting that leveraging ICT can provide numerous employment opportunities locally and internationally.
The government prioritizing ICT and its expansion of digital infrastructure and services offer significant potential to create jobs for the youth. By addressing the challenges of internet accessibility, and device affordability, and providing a conducive environment for BPO operations, Uganda positions itself to achieve its goal of creating 30,000 jobs annually through ICT.
Developing AI policies to harness technology for key sectors
President Museveni in a recent retreat with cabinet members and permanent secretaries, tasked them to formulate a policy to guide the adoption and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) across various sectors including; healthcare, education, agriculture, etc.
The government acknowledges the growing relevance of AI in addressing national challenges and driving progress. “The government is very well aware that AI is very important —therefore we are creating a favorable environment or space for it to grow,” said Dr. Zawedde. “As we develop policy, it has to target different sectors or spheres to grow.”
The ministry is working with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), Uganda Telecom, and various stakeholders to draft the policy —with an AI task force already in place. The task force was announced in July this year by UCC, however, it raised concerns among some stakeholders, particularly the youth, who feel that the task force lacks diversity and representation of younger generations.
A task force on Artificial Intelligence made up of experts from within @UCC_Official & academia has been launched this morning.
The task force will develop a comprehensive concept note addressing various aspects of #AI to inform relevant interventions.@UCC_ED said #AI is a… pic.twitter.com/lAitOybZjN
— UCC (@UCC_Official) July 26, 2024
The Permanent Secretary emphasized that the ministry aims to create a framework that will encourage the development and scaling up of AI-driven solutions, such as health applications or tools for real-time language translation.
The government is working hard to create and adhere to an environment suitable for AI’s growth. This could be the moment for the country to unleash innovation and incorporate AI into key strategic sectors to optimize the opportunities birthed by this revolutionary technology, which would consequently spur national development and improve the lives of its citizens.
Developing an AI Policy is a government directive but most importantly it’s a strategic commitment to futureproofing the country’s key sectors to make them more resilient, efficient, and responding to the needs of the Ugandans.
See also: Ministry of ICT outline achievements of the ICT sector in last 5 years
