AGP Executive Report

AI in Healthcare: Uganda Cancer Institute and South Korean partners are testing an AI-powered cervical screening device in Kampala and Mbarara. In a study of 1,498 women, researchers say it helped flag cases that might otherwise be missed. Local Engineering: Kiira Motors has a proposed order for 20 buses from Lesotho, with President Museveni pledging five more—an export opportunity for Uganda’s automotive industry. Nodding Syndrome Research: Gulu University scientist Richard Echodu reports preliminary lab findings linking mould-contaminated maize to symptoms in rats, but says the results do not establish a cause in humans. Homegrown Innovation: Four Ugandan teams won Shs26.5 million in grants for technologies including a solar-panel cleaning system, a firefighting robot and an offline AI crop-disease app. Climate-Smart Farming: A new Uganda-linked initiative plans to train more than 200,000 smallholder vegetable farmers in Bangladesh, Nigeria and Uganda in sustainable, climate-resilient practices.

Homegrown Technology: Four Ugandan teams won Shs26.5 million in grants for locally developed solutions, including a solar-panel cleaner, firefighting robot, crop-disease app and electric-motorcycle battery-swapping stations. Research to Market: Uganda’s science and innovation minister urged universities to turn research into practical products that meet users’ needs, calling for closer ties with industry and communities. Health Research: A Gulu University scientist says early lab findings suggest mould-contaminated maize may be linked to Nodding Syndrome; the cause remains unconfirmed. Climate-Smart Farming: A new four-year initiative will train smallholder vegetable farmers in Uganda, Nigeria and Bangladesh in sustainable, climate-resilient methods. Digital Skills: MTN Uganda pledged Shs500 million for 25 community projects and donated ICT equipment to a Kampala hub that trains refugees and young people in digital skills.

Digital Finance: Kampala’s Africa Financial Intelligence Summit brought delegates from 36 countries to discuss how AI, blockchain analytics and digital forensics can help detect cross-border financial crime. Safer Mining: Ugandan gold-sector stakeholders say high equipment costs and limited credit are slowing the shift away from mercury, which threatens miners and the environment. Local Research: Bank of Uganda Deputy Governor Augustus Nuwagaba urged government and universities to fund practical homegrown research in agriculture, manufacturing and healthcare to reduce reliance on imported solutions. Climate Preparedness: East African Community ministers adopted a joint plan for a potentially strong El Niño, with measures to strengthen early warnings and protect livelihoods, infrastructure and regional trade. Science Education: Kakungulu Memorial School’s head teacher called for government support to equip laboratories, saying costs are limiting hands-on learning under the competency-based curriculum. Lake Science: Limnologist Rose Mugidde’s work helped explain ecological changes in Lake Victoria, including algal growth and declining oxygen that threaten aquatic life and livelihoods.

Science for Industry: Uganda’s Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry has engaged Operation Wealth Creation on using research and technology to support industrialisation and enterprise development. Pharmacy Education: Mbarara University says it has addressed staffing and leadership problems in its pharmacy programme after regulators withdrew recognition; MPs were told two pharmacists have been recruited. Climate Readiness: East African ministers adopted a regional El Niño response plan, with scientists warning of potentially heavy rains through February 2027. Digital Learning: MTN Uganda Foundation has graduated teachers from a programme to strengthen technology-enabled education. Science in Schools: Kakungulu Memorial School has urged government to equip laboratories, saying costs are limiting practical learning. Agricultural Innovation: NARO has developed a locally made fertiliser that could reduce Uganda’s import bill, while seeking wider adoption of dairy technologies.

Cancer Care: Uganda has about 20 mammography machines, with three-quarters concentrated in the central region, leaving early breast cancer detection out of reach for many patients. Health Services: A €12.75 million Italian project will support maternal, child and cancer care across northern Uganda, including staff training and new medical technologies, with more than 500,000 people expected to benefit. Stadium Technology: NITA-U says Akii-Bua Stadium’s ICT systems are nearing completion, but CAF inspections and match-day tests will determine whether they meet 2027 AFCON standards. AI and Jobs: A study estimates AI could add US$899 million to Uganda’s economy over a decade, but warns that unreliable internet, power and limited access to devices could leave young people behind. Ebola Research: Vaccine candidates for Bundibugyo Ebola are moving into trials in the DRC; the virus caused an outbreak in Uganda in 2007, but no vaccine is yet licensed. Agricultural Science: NARO has developed a locally made fertiliser that could reduce Uganda’s import bill and support farmers.

Smart Stadium: NITA-U says most ICT systems at Lira’s Akii-Bua Stadium are installed, with testing under way ahead of CAF inspections for AFCON 2027. AI Opportunity: Uganda could add an estimated US$899 million to GDP over a decade through AI, but a new study warns that limited internet, electricity and skills could leave young people behind. Technology Partnerships: Uganda and Italy have opened a business hub to connect local firms with investors and industrial technology, targeting manufacturing, agribusiness and ICT. Ebola Research: WHO has recommended two Bundibugyo-specific vaccine candidates for an efficacy trial in the DRC—the strain was first identified in Uganda—offering a new test of vaccines during an active outbreak. Local Innovation: NARO has developed a locally made fertiliser that could reduce Uganda’s reliance on imports.

AI and Youth: Uganda could add up to US$899 million to its economy over a decade by adopting artificial intelligence, but a new study says unreliable internet, electricity and limited access to technology risk leaving young people behind. Uganda ranks 23rd of 56 Commonwealth countries for youth AI readiness. Technology Transfer: Uganda and Italy have launched a business hub to link local firms with Italian investors and industrial technology, with a focus on building manufacturing skills and processing capacity in Uganda. Health Innovation: A new Shs58 billion Italy-funded project will support maternal and child care, cancer services and medical technology in northern Uganda, reaching 32 health facilities across 11 areas. Ebola Research: WHO has recommended adding Moderna and Oxford vaccine candidates to an efficacy trial during the deadly Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the DRC. The strain was first identified in Uganda, but no vaccine against it is licensed; trial results are expected in 2027.

AI and Youth: Uganda could add an estimated US$899 million to GDP over a decade through AI, but the opportunity depends on young people gaining access to reliable internet, electricity, devices and skills. The country ranks 23rd of 56 Commonwealth nations for youth AI readiness. Healthcare Technology: A three-year, Italy-funded Shs58 billion project will support maternal and child care and cancer services in northern Uganda, reaching at least 500,000 people across 32 health facilities. It includes health-worker training, medical technology and research partnerships with Gulu University and the Uganda Cancer Institute. Ebola Research: WHO advisers have recommended adding Moderna and Oxford–Serum Institute vaccines designed for the Bundibugyo strain to an active-outbreak trial in the DRC, pending national approval. The trial could strengthen regional tools against a deadly outbreak.

Ebola Vaccine Trial: WHO advisers have recommended adding Moderna and Oxford–Serum Institute vaccines designed for the Bundibugyo strain to a pivotal trial in the DRC. Regulatory approval is still needed; the trial could test the vaccines during the largest recorded outbreak of the strain. Eye Health: Uganda plans to expand eye-care services to more than five million people by 2031, backed by a reported $5 million investment. Digital Health: Government plans to link antenatal-care, birth and death records, while a new report warns that fragmented East African data rules are adding costs and slowing digital services. Skills and Technology: Only one in five Ugandan secondary schools assessed is fully ICT-ready, and more than a third lack internet access, hampering efforts to keep education aligned with fast-changing technology. Agricultural Innovation: NARO is developing local fertiliser to help cut import costs and has partnered to increase farmers’ uptake of dairy technologies. Telecoms: MTN Uganda reported higher nine-month profit, with data and mobile money among the drivers of revenue growth.

Digital Health: Uganda is moving to link antenatal, birth and death records, building on a digital registry that helps health workers track pregnancies and follow up patients. Digital Public Services: URSB has launched a mobile app for business registration, searches, annual returns and intellectual property services. Technology in Schools: Uganda’s curriculum is struggling to keep pace with rapid technological change; only one in five assessed secondary schools is fully ICT-ready, while more than a third lack internet access. Technical Skills: TVET trainers will need both trade expertise and formal teaching skills under the new reforms. Connectivity: UCC says satellite internet can help close access gaps, but businesses and public agencies must make better use of digital tools. Agricultural Research: NARO has developed a locally made fertiliser that could reduce Uganda’s reliance on imports.

Digital Health: Uganda Cancer Institute clinicians are testing automated phone check-ins to track patients’ symptoms at home and flag who needs follow-up care. Ebola Research: WHO has added two vaccine candidates to trials in the DRC against the Bundibugyo strain, first identified in western Uganda; no approved vaccine currently targets it. Agricultural Innovation: NARO’s locally made, solar-powered nitrogen fertiliser boosted maize yields by up to 85% in early tests, while a new partnership aims to bring dairy technologies to farmers and processors. Health Infrastructure: An audit found oxygen plants worth Shs7.7 billion at hospitals in Moroto, Yumbe and Soroti are incomplete or non-functional, limiting critical medical supplies. Cybersecurity Skills: ISBAT University won Centenary Bank’s first university cybersecurity hackathon, which drew 26 teams.

Water Infrastructure: NWSC has launched a Shs694 billion project to bring Lake Victoria water to more than one million people in fast-growing areas west and south of Kampala, including Kyengera, Kajjansi and Mpigi. Power Reliability: UEDCL says short- and long-term investments are planned to address recurring outages, as demand and customer numbers have grown faster than network infrastructure. Cybersecurity Skills: ISBAT University students won Centenary Bank’s first university cybersecurity hackathon, which drew 26 teams and offered finalists training and certification vouchers. Agricultural Research: A new study based on fieldwork in Uganda warns that low-cost soil scanners and test kits can produce results that differ substantially from laboratory tests, potentially misleading farmers. Ebola Response: WHO has backed clinical trials of two candidate vaccines against Bundibugyo Ebola in the DRC, where the outbreak has caused more than 5,000 deaths. Local-Language AI: Alibaba’s chair cited a Ugandan nonprofit using open-source models to develop AI tools covering 68 African languages.

Digital Connectivity: Roke Telkom marked 20 years in Uganda’s ICT sector, highlighting its growth from an internet provider for underserved communities into a wider technology solutions company. AI Opportunity: A Commonwealth study puts Uganda’s potential economic gains from artificial intelligence at about US$899 million over the next decade, with young entrepreneurs well placed to benefit. Agricultural Research: A new study using Ugandan field data warns that portable soil scanners and test kits can produce results that differ from laboratory measurements, risking poor fertiliser advice for farmers. Local Innovation: MPs want Parliament to use Kiira Motors buses for oversight visits, arguing public institutions should help turn locally developed technology into viable products and jobs. Ebola Vaccine: Moderna’s investigational Bundibugyo vaccine has been recommended for a Phase 2/3 study in the DRC, pending regulatory approval, as the outbreak continues to spread.

Regional Connectivity: The EAC is seeking approval for revised roaming rules that could reduce cross-border call and data costs, with Uganda among six member states already implementing the One Network Area framework. AI and Skills: EAC ministers have adopted a regional AI strategy and approved an AI module for university students, as Ugandan researchers call for more government funding and stronger links between research and practical solutions. Health Innovation: Uganda has begun exporting locally made HIV self-test kits to Kenya, while a Shs3.8 billion AI-powered X-ray project aims to expand tuberculosis diagnosis in private health facilities. Digital Infrastructure: A fingerprint device has gone live with Uganda’s national ID system, and a proposed Shs694 billion water project is set to bring Lake Victoria water to more than one million people in Wakiso and Mpigi.

Regional AI: EAC ministers meeting in Uganda adopted regional AI and digital transformation strategies, approved an AI module for universities and agreed to develop Kiswahili AI certification benchmarks. Digital ID: SecuGen’s fingerprint device is now connected to Uganda’s MOSIP-based national ID system, enabling businesses to verify ID holders at service counters. Research and farming: Uganda Christian University researchers urged government to increase research funding, citing equipment costs and disrupted projects; the university is also seeking community innovators to help turn research into practical solutions. Separately, NARO and Trade for Jobs Uganda will work to bring dairy innovations to farmers and businesses. HIV prevention: A long-acting drug offering protection with two injections a year remains difficult to access in Mbarara, even as Uganda reports 34,000 new infections annually. Uganda’s locally made HIV self-test kits have also begun shipping to Kenya.

Regional AI: EAC ministers meeting in Uganda adopted regional AI and digital transformation strategies, approved a foundational university AI module and agreed to develop Kiswahili AI certification benchmarks. Digital Identity: SecuGen’s MOSIP-certified fingerprint scanner is now compatible with Uganda’s national ID system, enabling organizations to verify ID holders by fingerprint. NIRA’s new system includes more than 28 million migrated records. Health Technology: Uganda’s locally made HIV self-test kits have begun exports to Kenya, while a Shs3.8 billion AI-assisted X-ray project aims to expand TB diagnosis in private clinics. HIV Prevention: A twice-yearly HIV-prevention injection offers new hope, but sex workers in Mbarara say they cannot reliably access it.