AGP Executive Report

Ebola Watch (DRC): Congo’s record Ebola outbreak has surged into a seventh province, Sud-Ubangi, after lab testing found the rare Bundibugyo strain; a man who died in Gwaka had traveled through South Kivu, Rwanda and Uganda, raising fears of many contacts and cross-border risk. Climate Media Capacity: Uganda’s Water Journalists Africa and Media Challenge Initiative were selected for MESHA’s Africa Climate Beacons Newsroom Initiative (2026/27), aiming to shift reporting from climate problems to practical solutions. Legal Tech in Uganda: The Uganda Law Society launched TechFest 2026 to push adoption of locally relevant legal technology, with regional events in Mbarara, Gulu and Mbale before the main festival in Munyonyo. Green Construction Push: UNABSEC unveiled a campaign to remove toxic asbestos roofing from schools and health facilities, linking it to digitalization and innovation in construction. Uganda Oil/Policy: Museveni directed Kampala’s City Square redevelopment into an eco-friendly real estate complex using solar power, after a proposal was submitted for feasibility review. BRICS Tech & Finance (Global): At the New Delhi BRICS Business Forum, leaders backed local-currency trade and payment-system links, with proposals involving the New Development Bank and digital finance.

Ebola Watch: DRC health authorities confirmed an Ebola-positive case in South-Ubangi province, far from the outbreak’s earlier eastern hotspots; the patient travelled via Rwanda and Uganda, raising fears of many contacts and cross-border risk. BRICS Business & Payments: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian urged BRICS to expand local-currency trade and back it with risk-management, while Russia pitched an NDB-based investment platform for trade, infrastructure, logistics and AI. Digital Finance Push: India’s Piyush Goyal called for BRICS nations to link payment systems and expand interoperability, pointing to UPI’s scale. Uganda Construction Safety: UNABSEC launched a campaign to remove carcinogenic asbestos roofing from schools and health centres, funded through a contractors’ run ahead of a construction forum. Health Tech in Uganda: Uganda Cancer Institute discharged its second bone marrow transplant patient, signaling growing capacity for advanced cancer care. Education Funding: Uganda’s higher education loan scheme approved 2,790 students for 2026/27, despite 10,615 applications, with science courses prioritized. Uganda Investments: KURA Asset Management entered Uganda’s investment management market with income and dollar-denominated funds.

Oil & Industry: Uganda’s Kingfisher oilfield core surface facilities have passed mechanical completion, clearing the way for production preparations and targeting peak output of about 40,000 barrels per day. EV & Trade: Chinese electric motorcycle imports into Africa jumped 60% in the first half of 2026, with East and Central Africa seeing more investment in local assembly and battery-swapping ecosystems. Education Finance: Uganda’s higher education loan scheme approved only 2,790 of 10,615 applicants for 2026/27, despite rising demand, with applications handled online via ILMIS. Road Safety: Kampala recorded 407 road crash deaths in 2025, with pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists taking most fatalities; speeding on arterial roads remains a concern. Digital Skills & Youth: A push for coding and youth tech participation continues, alongside warnings that social media exposure is worsening mental health risks for young people. Global Tech Diplomacy: Korea’s Export-Import Bank held talks with multiple African countries, including Uganda, to expand support for AI and digital education projects.

BRICS Summit 2026: India hosts the two-day BRICS leaders’ meeting in New Delhi (Sept 12–13), with Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian among expected attendees, as the agenda spotlights food, energy and supply-chain resilience plus cooperation on technology and reforms for the Global South. Uganda Oil Milestone: China-built Kingfisher oilfield in Uganda has passed mechanical completion acceptance, moving toward production preparation for the country’s first commercial oilfield. EV Shift in Africa: Imports of Chinese electric motorcycles and three-wheelers jumped in early 2026, with North Africa leading consumer scooters while East and Central Africa see more investment in local assembly and battery-swapping ecosystems. HIV Prevention in Uganda: A Kampala-based qualitative study says integrating PrEP into opioid-use and needle-exchange services is urgently needed, but must be community-led with strong provider training. Higher Education Loans Crunch: Uganda’s 2026/27 government higher-education loan approvals cover only 2,790 students out of 10,615 applicants, despite rising demand. Korea–Uganda Tech & Nuclear Talks: Uganda’s deputy prime minister met South Korea’s foreign minister, who urged support for Korean firms in nuclear energy and AI, alongside plans to expand cooperation in ICT and other sectors. Digital Infrastructure Leadership: NEC Africa appointed Phillip Nganga as East Africa regional manager, aiming to grow cybersecurity and enterprise tech offerings across markets including Uganda. Mobility Market Signals: Uber is limiting remote work globally and has exited Nigeria and Uganda, leaving Kenya as its only East African market—raising questions about how sustainable ride-hailing economics are across the region.

Oil & Industry: Uganda names its new export crude grade “Pearl Sweet” as first oil exports near, but buyers may be limited by high wax content and heating costs, while the export pipeline and production timelines still face pressure. Digital Backbone: MTN Uganda is positioning itself beyond mobile by investing in fibre, 5G, cloud, enterprise tech and cybersecurity to build Uganda’s digital backbone. Climate & Farming: A drought-hit Lira solar irrigation scheme is helping farmers keep producing, while research from Ethiopia shows simple soil-and-water practices can raise wheat yields by over 27% and cut soil loss sharply. Health Systems: DR Congo’s Ebola response says the main bottleneck is not the virus but shortages of trained staff, with thousands more workers needed to scale treatment beds. Security & Governance: Two retired UPDF military intelligence chiefs, Abel Kandiho and Charles Bakahumura, are arrested as investigations into alleged false intelligence widen. Policy Tech: URSB warns that electronic signatures must be authenticated via NITA-U, after complaints of rejected e-signatures. Urban Youth & Waste: Kampala’s daily solid waste could become jobs if youth turn organic waste into compost, biochar, fertiliser and other products. Regional Diplomacy: BRICS leaders’ New Delhi summit is set to focus on resilience in food, energy, health and supply chains, with West Asia tensions shaping negotiations.

Digital Backbone: MTN Uganda is positioning itself beyond mobile by investing in fibre, 5G, cloud, enterprise tech and cybersecurity to build Uganda’s “digital runway” for businesses and public services. Payments Interoperability: TerraPay and Alipay+ (via Xend) are enabling cross-border QR wallet payments across Africa and beyond, aiming to reduce friction for travellers and merchants. E-Signatures at URSB: URSB says electronic signatures are being rejected because the bureau lacks the infrastructure to fully operationalise the Electronic Signatures Act, advising users to authenticate signatures with NITA-U first. Oil Export Push: Uganda is preparing to export its Pearl Sweet crude blend, targeting benchmarking against Brent, early production from Kingfisher, and marketing through Vitol via EACOP to Tanzania’s Tanga. Health System Pressure: Uganda Cancer Institute reports 278 patient visits daily and rising cases, with shortages—especially blood products—adding strain to diagnosis and treatment capacity. Mobility Electrification: Kenya’s ARC Ride secured $33.3m to expand battery-swapping electric motorcycles into Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Road Safety Warning: Uganda recorded 26,044 crashes in 2025 with 4,602 fatalities, pushing a stronger national focus on safer roads and enforcement. Ebola Response Bottleneck: DR Congo’s Ebola fight is slowed by a shortage of trained health workers, with WHO calling for about 5,000 more staff to scale care. Governance in Focus: Anti-corruption court grants bail to Parliament communications official Chris Obore over alleged mismanagement of Shs26.8bn.

Biodiversity & Conservation: Monash University scientists say tropical insects are being ignored in conservation because global knowledge is skewed to temperate regions, and they propose a new framework to close the gap. Agritech & Finance: Ugandan agritech startup SANDI AI won a US$50,000 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize, backing AI-led support to improve farmers’ access to infrastructure and finance. Climate Finance: IFAD and Equity Group launched a US$200M Africa Rural Climate Adaptation Finance Mechanism (ARCAFIM) to fund climate resilience for smallholders and rural businesses across East Africa. Food Security: An IUEA vice-chancellor warns that producing more food won’t automatically end hunger, calling for better storage, packaging and post-harvest tech. Health & Research: Uganda-based work is pushing cancer-vaccine ideas forward, with US patent filings describing mRNA approaches aimed at specific cancer mutations. Governance & Oversight: MPs questioned Uganda’s stalled Sh41bn silk project in Sheema, probing procurement and accountability around TRIDI. Digital Safety: UNICEF reports large numbers of children in East Africa, including Uganda, face technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse. Oil & Industry: Uganda named its export crude “Pearl Sweet” as oil projects near first production.

Climate Finance for Farmers: IFAD and Equity Group launched a Sh25.9bn (US$200m) 12-year ARCAFIM mechanism in Kigali to fund climate adaptation for about 260,000 smallholder producers and 500 rural SMEs across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. Aviation Procurement Scrutiny: Uganda MPs on Cosase demanded more documents over UCAA’s Sh5.3985bn specialised aircraft rescue and fire-fighting vehicle, questioning ownership details and the procurement cost. Child Online Safety: UNICEF reported Kenya recorded 913,878 cases of online sexual exploitation and abuse in surveys covering 2020–2021 and 2024–2025, with Uganda also flagged among affected countries. Air Quality Watch: AfriCAN’s Africa Air Quality Brief for Clean Air for Blue Skies Day says over 20 African countries missed WHO air pollution guideline targets, using satellite and ground data to guide action. Local Health Innovation: African drugmakers are linking local production with sickle cell care as WHO pushes wider access to hydroxyurea and child-friendly formulations. Uganda Research Boost: NIH funding is helping Uganda build major medical research capacity, placing it among the top African recipients. AI for Farmers: Ugandan startup SANDI AI won the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize 2026, taking US$50,000 to expand AI-enabled access to loans for farmers. Connectivity Expansion: Paratus says its Goma-to-Mombasa fibre route is live, with Starlink services launched in Uganda and more cross-border interconnections planned. Uganda Oil Milestone: Uganda named its emerging export crude blend “Pearl Sweet” as major oil projects near first production.

Oil & Trade: Uganda has named its emerging export crude “Pearl Sweet” and is promoting it at Singapore’s APPEC, with officials saying the trading name will appear on cargo and refinery documentation as the country pushes toward first exports. Public Health: Uganda’s Global Fund implementers are alarmed by stubbornly high malaria and HIV in Bunyoro, with field monitoring pointing to sanitation and vegetation around homes that boost mosquito breeding. Local Governance & Accountability: Hoima leadership is being urged to tighten accountability and ensure services reach residents, while Auditor General findings also spotlight gaps at the Local Government Finance Commission and sustainability risks at MUST’s PHARMBIOTRAC traditional medicine and pharm-biotech centre. Digital & Finance Tech: Tanzania’s central bank backed Creditinfo’s locally run fraud detection, identity verification and KYC tools as digital lending expands. Agritech Innovation: Ugandan AI startup SANDI AI won the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize for using AI to unlock security-free loans for farmers. Mobility & Regulation: Uber’s exit from Nigeria and Uganda continues to ripple, with regulators probing how customers and drivers were handled. Climate & Food Systems: A forum in Kigali says climate finance still doesn’t reach farmers in usable forms, even as technologies like solar irrigation and improved water management spread. Health Security: Africa CDC stresses that managing rumours is key to stopping disease outbreaks. Environment Research: Rwanda’s long-running eucalyptus planting experiment is linked to soil acidification concerns, with scientists revisiting the 90-year impact.

Oil & Trade: Uganda has officially named its export crude “Pearl Sweet” and is promoting it in Singapore as production nears, turning a long-awaited resource into a market-facing commodity. Mining Policy: A Kampala forum questions whether Uganda’s gold tax incentives still make sense now that refineries are operating, pushing for rules that balance investment, revenue, and local jobs. Digital Payments: SQRIL says it is helping banks and neobanks in Africa enable scan-and-pay QR payments across borders in users’ home currency. Agri-AI & Finance: Ugandan startup SANDI AI won the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize (US$50,000) for using AI to unlock safer loans for farmers. Clean Cooking Finance: Carbon credit financing is expanding access to cleaner cookstoves across Africa, cutting smoke and costs for households. Public Safety: Government stepped up water-safety measures to curb drowning deaths, including signage, barriers, and faster marine response. Consumer Tech Regulation: Uganda’s gaming regulator says safer gambling is urgent as most activity shifts online. Mobility Shock: Uber’s exit from Nigeria and Uganda is triggering consumer-protection scrutiny and raising questions about what comes next for riders and drivers.

Cancer Care Update: Uganda Cancer Institute reports a 10% rise in cancer cases from 2024 to 2025, with females leading (55%) and common cancers including cervical, breast and prostate. Local Language Tech: Wikimedia Community User Group of Uganda is waiting for Wikipedia Foundation approval to launch Runyankole, aiming to strengthen Ugandan knowledge online. Digital Finance Regulation: Ghana, Mauritius and Uganda are developing shared rules for stablecoins and digital assets, pushing toward safer tokenised finance across borders. STEM Education & Infrastructure: Makerere University has started a Shs96.6b CoBAMS complex to consolidate teaching and research spaces. Agriculture Skills: Uganda’s agriculture ministry, with ILO support, is drafting a practical curriculum for youth in mechanisation, irrigation, farm structures and soil testing. Health Tech Supply Chain: Dei BioPharma has been onboarded to Africa CDC’s African Pooled Procurement Mechanism for five years, positioning Uganda in continental health product procurement. Oil & STEM Scholarships: EACOP awarded 16 scholarships (Telecom Engineering and Computer Science) to Kyambogo and Makerere students, including women. Child Safety Online: UNICEF warns 20 million children aged 12–17 across 21 countries have faced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse, including Uganda in the study. Solar for Farming: CSOs urge wider solar-powered farming to protect yields and incomes as rainfall becomes less reliable. Research for Policy: Government inaugurated two research task forces—IRA and SERA—to turn research findings into budgeting and public service delivery.

EACOP Compensation Update: EACOP says it has paid compensation to 1,482 affected people in Geita (99.3% of those assessed), with only 10 remaining unpaid as of Aug 31 and operations expected to start Jan 15, 2027. Health Supply Chain: Ugandan biotech Dei BioPharma has been onboarded onto Africa CDC’s African Pooled Procurement Mechanism for five years, positioning the firm for future continental health product bids. Policy & Research: Uganda has launched two research task forces—Institutional Research Agenda (IRA) and Social Economic Research Agenda (SERA)—to turn research into better policymaking and budgeting. STEM Education Boost: EACOP awarded 16 scholarships (Telecommunications Engineering and Computer Science) to Kyambogo and Makerere students, including seven women. Agriculture Skills: Government is developing a practical curriculum with ILO support to train youth in agricultural mechanisation, irrigation, farm structures and soil testing. AI for Farming: Google launched an AI project using satellite imagery to map fields and detect farming events, aiming to raise productivity and climate resilience. Digital Safety: UNICEF reports high exposure to online sexual exploitation in Eastern and Southern Africa, with Uganda among the highest. Transport Tech Shock: Uber exited Uganda on Sept 2 after 12 years, citing a tough market review and transition support for drivers and riders.

Oil & Minerals: Uganda is courting global capital to unlock mineral potential, while also pushing its crude export brand “Pearl Sweet” as oil projects near first production. Health & Science: Malaria parasites with reduced sensitivity to artemether-lumefantrine are spreading rapidly in Uganda, raising alarms for first-line treatment effectiveness. Digital Safety: UNICEF reports about 27% of children in Eastern and Southern Africa face exposure to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse, with Uganda among the highest. AI for Agriculture: Ugandan agritech startup SANDI AI Technologies won the 2026 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize (US$50,000) to expand an AI platform linking smallholders to agricultural finance. Tourism Tech: Uganda is using AI and digital tools to boost tourism ahead of World Tourism Day, aiming to raise visibility and lengthen stays. Transport & Infrastructure: Jinja launched an Shs82.88b road upgrade for 13.82km, and Busoga awaits long-delayed tarmacking funding after Parliament approved Shs842.6b for a major road. Education Policy: Uganda’s education ministry told head teachers to stop sending learners home over unpaid fees, warning it harms learning and child welfare. Mobility Platforms: Little Uganda reaffirmed its commitment to expand digital transport services, even as Uber exited Uganda and Nigeria.

Judiciary & AI: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant urged BRICS to become a “living Nalanda University,” stressing healthy disagreement and predictable justice, while forum sessions also focused on mediation, cross-border arbitration, and AI’s role in improving judicial efficiency. Digital child safety: UNICEF reports about 1 in 5 children in Uganda are exposed to unwanted sexual content online, with technology-facilitated abuse linked to higher risks of suicidal thoughts. Agri-AI for finance: Ugandan startup SANDI AI Technologies won the 2026 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize (about Shs190m) to expand an AI platform that helps smallholders access loans. Clean energy for SMEs: Sawa Energy and dfcu Bank launched a pay-for-consumption/lease model to finance solar PV and batteries for businesses without upfront capital. Tourism tech push: Uganda plans to use AI and digital tools to boost tourism earnings ahead of World Tourism Day, aiming for longer stays and better visitor experiences. Oil sector update: Uganda branded its export crude as “Pearl Sweet” as production and pipeline/refinery timelines near. Transport & informal economy: UNION Transport Alliance and UISF launched a partnership to make Uganda’s informal economy more visible, unlocking digital markets and financing. Local infrastructure: Jinja unveiled an Shs83b road rehabilitation push for 13.82km, starting with drainage-sensitive roads.

AI in health & farming: Uganda and Rwanda researchers showcased how African women are using AI and smart tools to speed disease diagnosis and boost potato production, including an AI “ocular” system that links microscopes, smartphones and 3D-printable adapters for faster detection of illnesses like malaria and TB. Tourism digitisation: Uganda is pushing AI and digital tech to grow tourism earnings ahead of World Tourism Day in Mbale, citing higher visitor numbers and receipts and aiming to improve marketing, customer engagement and data-driven decisions. Energy access via solar: Sawa Energy and dfcu Bank launched a clean-energy partnership offering financed on-site solar PV and battery systems for SMEs through long-term pay-for-consumption or lease deals. Oil regulator change: Petroleum Authority of Uganda’s founding ED Ernest Rubondo has exited after 10 years; Otonga Michael Ochan takes over as Acting ED while a substantive replacement is processed. Digital health for rural wards: Chil Group rolled out an E-Ward Round platform to connect rural facilities with urban specialists for virtual inpatient ward rounds across nearly 400 partner sites. Education policy: Uganda’s education ministry warned head teachers against sending learners home over unpaid fees, stressing it harms concentration and violates UPE/USE goals. Public health research: A Uganda-focused study highlights counselling effectiveness for adolescent girls and young women, while Tanzania trained 62 data collectors for an emergency care improvement study. Governance & tech: Uganda’s SHIPU reported recovering Shs557b from fraud cases, with land and financial fraud topping complaints. Cyber-safety warning: UNICEF estimates about 20 million children aged 12–17 faced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in a year across 21 countries, including Uganda.

AI Biosecurity: A new Science study shows trained AI can design novel viruses, raising fresh alarm about how to keep legitimate research moving while reducing the risk of AI-enabled bioweapons. Ebola Response: WHO and Africa CDC updates keep pressure on the DRC’s Ebola fight, with officials warning it’s still too early to declare the outbreak fully under control as cases and deaths remain high. Uganda Health Tech: Chil Group launched a digital “E-Ward Round” platform to link rural inpatient facilities with urban specialists for real-time care, aiming to cut long-distance referrals. Digital Infrastructure: WIOCC secured $300m to expand Africa’s open-access fibre and data-centre backbone, targeting growing demand for cloud and AI services. Local Investment & Fraud: Uganda’s State House Investors’ Protection Unit reports recovering about Shs557b from fraudulent deals, with land and financial fraud still the biggest capital-freezing issues. Mining & Industry: Uganda pitched its critical-minerals push to investors abroad, while UMA says manufacturing contributes 16.5% to the economy and is key for jobs and value chains. E-hailing Shake-up: Uber’s exit from Uganda and Nigeria continues to ripple—competition, costs, and trust issues are blamed—while Uber simultaneously expands autonomous ride-hailing in London. Child Safety Online: UNICEF estimates about 20m children face technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse yearly, highlighting underreporting and the need for stronger protections.