Innovation
Busitema University Opens MTN Spark Hub to Advance Digital Innovation
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Busitema University has opened a new chapter in digital learning and innovation on 15th September 2026 with the launch of the MTN Spark Hub, a facility where students and members of the surrounding community can develop digital skills and turn ideas into practical solutions.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Dr Amina Zawedde, was the Chief Guest and officiated at the handover of the Hub. The facility will provide access to digital tools, internet connectivity, training and mentorship.
The Hub was established through a partnership involving the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, MTN Uganda Foundation, MTN Uganda, Centenary Technology Services, AniScholar, the Uganda Communications Commission and Busitema University.
The investment comes at a time when about 75% of Uganda’s population is below the age of 30. The country has approximately 20 million smartphone users, while nearly nine in every ten Ugandans live within reach of a 4G network. However, access to technology alone is not enough. Young people also need the skills, guidance and facilities to use it productively.
Welcoming the initiative, Busitema University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Waako, said the Hub would strengthen competence-based learning by enabling students to put classroom knowledge into practice. Opening the facility to the wider community will also extend its benefits beyond the University.
Peter Kahiigi of Centenary Technology Services encouraged students from every academic discipline to take advantage of the opportunities available at the Hub. “The world is full of possibilities, and this facility is a door to that world. It does not matter what you are studying. It opens opportunities to explore, innovate and create a future beyond the classroom,” he said.
Francis Gimara, a Trustee of MTN Uganda Foundation, said the Hub’s success would be measured by the entrepreneurs, businesses, innovations and solutions that emerge from it. “Bring your ideas, embrace the opportunity and dare to create,” he told the young people.
In her address, Dr Zawedde described the Hub as an investment in people, ideas and opportunity. She said Uganda’s digital progress should be measured by the difference technology makes in people’s lives. “Digital transformation is not about the number of computers we install. It is about the difference technology makes in people’s lives,” she said.
Dr Zawedde explained that the initiative supports the Government’s digital transformation agenda by widening access to digital infrastructure, skills and opportunities. “This is not just a donation of computers. We are opening a facility where ideas can be incubated and developed into innovations that solve challenges in our communities and create opportunities,” she said.
She commended Busitema University for hosting the first MTN Spark Hub in Eastern Uganda and thanked all the partners who contributed to its establishment.
The Hub also supports Uganda’s drive towards tenfold economic growth, with ICT and innovation expected to increase productivity, create jobs and improve service delivery. Young people will be able to explore how technology can address challenges in agriculture, health, education, tourism, transport and other sectors.
Dr Zawedde concluded the ceremony by leading the ribbon-cutting and formally commissioning the facility. With the Hub now open, the real work begins: learning, developing ideas and turning them into solutions that improve lives.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Dr Amina Zawedde, was the Chief Guest and officiated at the handover of the Hub. The facility will provide access to digital tools, internet connectivity, training and mentorship.
The Hub was established through a partnership involving the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, MTN Uganda Foundation, MTN Uganda, Centenary Technology Services, AniScholar, the Uganda Communications Commission and Busitema University.
The investment comes at a time when about 75% of Uganda’s population is below the age of 30. The country has approximately 20 million smartphone users, while nearly nine in every ten Ugandans live within reach of a 4G network. However, access to technology alone is not enough. Young people also need the skills, guidance and facilities to use it productively.
Welcoming the initiative, Busitema University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Waako, said the Hub would strengthen competence-based learning by enabling students to put classroom knowledge into practice. Opening the facility to the wider community will also extend its benefits beyond the University.
Peter Kahiigi of Centenary Technology Services encouraged students from every academic discipline to take advantage of the opportunities available at the Hub. “The world is full of possibilities, and this facility is a door to that world. It does not matter what you are studying. It opens opportunities to explore, innovate and create a future beyond the classroom,” he said.
Francis Gimara, a Trustee of MTN Uganda Foundation, said the Hub’s success would be measured by the entrepreneurs, businesses, innovations and solutions that emerge from it. “Bring your ideas, embrace the opportunity and dare to create,” he told the young people.
In her address, Dr Zawedde described the Hub as an investment in people, ideas and opportunity. She said Uganda’s digital progress should be measured by the difference technology makes in people’s lives. “Digital transformation is not about the number of computers we install. It is about the difference technology makes in people’s lives,” she said.
Dr Zawedde explained that the initiative supports the Government’s digital transformation agenda by widening access to digital infrastructure, skills and opportunities. “This is not just a donation of computers. We are opening a facility where ideas can be incubated and developed into innovations that solve challenges in our communities and create opportunities,” she said.
She commended Busitema University for hosting the first MTN Spark Hub in Eastern Uganda and thanked all the partners who contributed to its establishment.
The Hub also supports Uganda’s drive towards tenfold economic growth, with ICT and innovation expected to increase productivity, create jobs and improve service delivery. Young people will be able to explore how technology can address challenges in agriculture, health, education, tourism, transport and other sectors.
Dr Zawedde concluded the ceremony by leading the ribbon-cutting and formally commissioning the facility. With the Hub now open, the real work begins: learning, developing ideas and turning them into solutions that improve lives.
The author is a Communications Officer at the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance.
