Stakeholders from government, academia, the private sector, and the wider innovation ecosystem have convened under the leadership of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance to contribute to the development of Uganda’s National Emerging Technologies Strategy. The framework is intended to guide the country in adopting and governing rapidly evolving digital technologies to support national development.

The engagement, organised in partnership with National Information Technology Authority-Uganda and AI Uganda, brought together participants from sectors including agriculture, health, finance, education, tourism, manufacturing, and research institutions. The discussions focused on how emerging technologies can support Uganda’s digital transformation and economic growth.

Opening the engagement, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Aminah Zawedde, said Uganda is taking deliberate steps to ensure that emerging technologies are harnessed in ways that align with national priorities and contribute to long-term economic transformation.

She noted that Uganda’s digital transformation agenda is guided by the Digital Transformation Roadmap, which focuses on five pillars: digital infrastructure, digital services, cybersecurity and data protection, digital skilling, and innovation and entrepreneurship. According to Dr. Zawedde, these pillars create the enabling environment for technologies such as artificial intelligence to develop and scale.

“Across the world, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things, robotics and big data analytics are transforming economies and public services,” she said. “Uganda must take deliberate steps to ensure that these technologies support our national priorities and create opportunities for our people.”

Dr. Zawedde also highlighted the importance of strengthening the country’s data ecosystem, noting that data forms the foundation for technologies such as artificial intelligence.
“We deliberately began by strengthening the fundamentals, starting with a national data strategy that will guide how data is governed, shared, and used across government and the wider economy,” she said.

She further emphasised the need for inclusive digital transformation, including the development of technologies that support local languages so that more Ugandans can interact effectively with digital platforms. “We want Uganda not only to adopt emerging technologies, but also to become a creator of solutions that address our own development challenges,” she added.

Providing additional insight into the initiative, Mr. Ambrose Ruyooka, Commissioner of Research and Development at the Ministry, explained that the strategy will provide a national framework for the adoption and governance of emerging technologies. He said the initiative was initially prompted by a Cabinet directive to develop a national artificial intelligence policy. However, during the drafting process, the Ministry recognised that artificial intelligence is closely linked to several other rapidly evolving technologies.

“In the process of developing an AI policy, we realised that artificial intelligence does not exist in isolation,” Mr. Ruyooka said. “There are other technologies emerging alongside it, so we decided to develop a broader Emerging Technologies Strategy with artificial intelligence as the flagship technology.”

The strategy will address technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Big Data Analytics, and Quantum Computing.

Mr. Ruyooka explained that these technologies will support progress in priority sectors identified under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), including agriculture, tourism, mining, manufacturing, and services. “ICT is not an end in itself,” he said. “It is an enabler that supports other sectors. The purpose of this strategy is to ensure that emerging technologies facilitate growth and productivity across the economy.”
He added that the framework will also address key issues such as ethical use, standards, infrastructure, investment, and governance to ensure that emerging technologies are deployed responsibly while supporting innovation.

“When new technologies emerge, governments must provide guidance on how they should be used responsibly,” Mr. Ruyooka said. “This includes establishing governance frameworks, ethical guidelines, and regulatory environments that protect citizens while encouraging innovation.”

Uganda’s approach will also align with international frameworks on artificial intelligence governance, including recommendations developed by organisations such as UNESCO and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The development of the strategy forms part of a wider consultative process led by the Ministry, involving expert interviews and focus group discussions across sectors. These engagements aim to capture insights on the current landscape of emerging technologies in Uganda, ongoing initiatives, and the opportunities and challenges associated with their adoption.

The process is being supported by consultant Prof. Timothy Waema of the University of Nairobi.

Insights gathered from these consultations will inform the final design of Uganda’s National Emerging Technologies Strategy, which is expected to guide the country’s adoption of technologies that are increasingly shaping economies and public services worldwide while creating new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and improved service delivery.