AGP Executive Report

Digital Payments: Kenya’s Upesi crossed Sh20bn in cumulative cross-border transfers, showing surging demand for faster, safer digital money movement across Africa and beyond—an angle Uganda fintech players can learn from as cross-border remittances keep rising. AI in Health: Uganda’s Health Minister says government plans to integrate artificial intelligence into healthcare to improve diagnosis and disease management, alongside expanding digital services. Ebola Watch (DRC): Congo’s Ebola outbreak has passed 6,000 confirmed cases and 2,911 deaths, with conflict and insecurity slowing response access in eastern zones. Halal Economy: Uganda is pushing to expand in the global halal market by strengthening certification, skills, lab testing, and modern processing—linking agriculture, finance, tourism, and manufacturing. Mining Regulation: Uganda imposed a one-month moratorium on new mineral licences and exploration rights to reset oversight, curb speculative claims, and push responsible development. Mobile Connectivity Research: Uganda’s UCC launched a study on smartphone usage to support progress toward 100% network coverage by 2030. Green Finance: The EU backed Phase II of Uganda’s green enterprise funding push (UGEFA), aiming to scale loans for renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and waste management. EACOP Protest Case: 10 anti-EACOP activists were charged after Kampala protests, with court remand set for further hearing.

Green Finance for Climate SMEs: The EU-backed Uganda Green Enterprises Financing Accelerator (UGEFA) Phase II has been launched with Shs29bn, building on Phase I where 102 enterprises accessed Shs31.8bn via partner banks. New partners include dfcu, Equity, Housing Finance, I&M, NCBA and PostBank, targeting renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and waste management. Digital Inclusion Study: Uganda’s UCC is running a study on smartphone use as the country targets 100% network coverage by 2030, citing 20.5m registered smartphones and 64.6m mobile subscriptions (end-June 2026). Health Tech & Cancer Care: Rotary’s Cancer Run has raised Shs5bn toward a cancer treatment centre at St Francis Hospital Nsambya, with work shifting from fundraising to radiotherapy infrastructure and staffing. Mining Regulation Reset: Uganda has imposed a one-month moratorium on new mineral licences and exploration rights to tighten oversight and curb speculative claims. Aviation Upgrade: Uganda’s UCAA upgraded Jinja Airfield with a paved runway, taxiway and apron to improve safety and connectivity. Portable MRI Breakthrough (Uganda-built): A low-field portable MRI system assembled in Uganda by an international team is helping expand brain imaging access in low-resource settings, with Nigerian expertise highlighted. Ebola Update (DRC): Congo’s Ebola outbreak has passed 6,000 cases and 2,911 deaths, with health agencies warning it remains out of control.

Agrifood Policy & Finance: AGRA says Africa’s food systems must be judged by what farmers earn, warning that output gains haven’t translated into prosperity and flagging a huge $180bn agrifood financing gap. Public Health & Research: Congo’s Ebola outbreak has topped 6,000 confirmed cases with nearly 3,000 deaths as insecurity and health shortages hamper containment. Medical Technology: Uganda-built low-field portable MRI work is advancing brain imaging access, with open-source engineering assembled on site at Mbarara University of Science and Technology. Digital Skills & Jobs: MTN Uganda graduates 503 youths from ACE digital-skilling, highlighting a widening gap between connectivity and practical internet use for work and business. AI in Community Health: An AI-assisted febrile illness surveillance pilot in four Ugandan districts shows high agreement with Village Health Teams and is moving to a harder phase testing whether AI improves decisions. Energy & Transport: MTN Uganda expands cashless payments and onboard Wi‑Fi on EBus Xpress electric bus routes in Kira. Climate Preparedness: IGAD’s October–December 2026 rainfall forecast urges early action across the Horn of Africa to protect agriculture, water and health. Protest & Oil Policy: Police arrest 10 anti-oil activists after Kampala marches demanding renewable energy and job-focused investment instead of oil dependence. TVET & STEM Coordination: YES-PACT highlights Uganda’s TVET Act and reforms that include AI, agriculture, and STEM coordination.

Biomedical Research: Ugandan-linked international teams are joining Johns Hopkins-led work to study hepatitis B and HIV co-infection in 600 patients across countries, aiming to understand why disease progresses differently and to support a cure-by-2030 goal. Digital Skills for Jobs: MTN Uganda graduated 503 youths from its ACE programme, bringing total completers to 1,190, with training spanning AI, cybersecurity, e-commerce and digital marketing—highlighting that Uganda’s internet use still lags behind connectivity. Mining Governance: Uganda has paused new mineral licences and exploration rights for 30 days to curb speculation and clean up the sector, as government tightens licensing to attract credible investors. Cancer Vaccine Innovation: Dei BioPharma filed seven US patents for modular mRNA cancer-vaccine technologies, building a library of pre-manufactured, HLA-matched candidates. Clean Energy Adoption Gap: Makerere University research finds low uptake of low-carbon farm technologies in Central Uganda, driven by information gaps, high costs and access barriers. Urban Transport Digitisation: MTN Uganda expanded cashless payments and onboard Wi‑Fi on EBus Xpress with three new Kira routes, using MTN MoMo for fares. Health Policy Continuity: Uganda is institutionalising adolescent healthcare by embedding DICAH into the Prime Minister’s performance assessments to protect services as donor funding declines. Public Health Access: Marie Stopes Uganda cut Lifeguard condom prices from Shs2,000 to Shs700 to boost protection amid rising HIV infections. Land Records & Fraud: Jinja’s digital land registration reduced fraud, but a staffing shortage and old records are creating a backlog and slowing full digitisation.

Ebola Preparedness: The US delivered an experimental Ebola antibody treatment (MBP134) to Uganda’s Ministry of Health as a safeguard against possible cross-border spread from DRC, even as Uganda remains Ebola-free. Digital Skills for Jobs: MTN Uganda graduated 503 youths from its ACE digital-skilling programme, training people including refugees and persons with disabilities in areas like cybersecurity and AI to support business growth. HIV Prevention Push: Marie Stopes Uganda cut Lifeguard condom prices from Shs2,000 to Shs700 to boost access amid rising HIV infection rates, rolling out the “Guard Your Game” campaign with mobile sales. Adolescent Health Continuity: Uganda institutionalised District Committees on Adolescent Health (DICAH) under the Office of the Prime Minister to protect services as donor funding declines. Urban Transport Electrification: E-Bus Express launched new electric bus routes in Kira with cashless MTN MoMo payments and plans to expand to Kampala Central. Crime Investigation Update: DCI arrested additional suspects in the cross-border murder case of Dr Victoria Mutiso, including a police constable, following forensic leads. Water Disaster: Rising lake levels have cut off thousands in Amolatar, prompting calls for urgent parliamentary intervention and relief.

Security & Forensics: Uganda’s DCI says it has arrested three more suspects in the murder of Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso, including a serving police constable, after coordinated raids in Nairobi and Kampala that followed forensic leads. Public Health & Preparedness: The US delivered an experimental Ebola antibody treatment to Uganda’s Ministry of Health as a precaution against possible cross-border spread from the DRC, where Ebola response hinges on community trust. Climate & Disaster Response: Flooding from Lake Kyoga and Lake Kwania has left thousands in Amolatar destitute for years, with local leaders urging urgent parliamentary action on relief, resettlement and compensation. Digital Skills & Jobs: MTN Uganda graduated 503 youths from its ACE programme, training people including refugees and persons with disabilities in AI, cybersecurity, e-commerce and digital marketing. Transport & Clean Energy: E-Bus Express launched new electric bus routes in Kira with cashless MTN MoMo payments, free rides for a week, and plans to expand the fleet to 50 buses. Energy Infrastructure: Reporting on Karuma Hydropower highlights ongoing struggles with full output and revenue targets, citing dispatch limits and delays in engineering and spare parts. Health Research: A study on adolescent reproductive health says policies are strong on paper but uneven in frontline implementation, especially in Uganda’s southwest. Education & Regional Integration: Uganda is part of the push at the EAC Regional Education Conference to harmonize education systems and boost investment in teachers.

Green Investment Push: Uganda invites Pakistani investors to tap agriculture, minerals, energy and tourism, offering tax incentives for greenfield projects and proposing an October business forum plus farm visits to build direct trade links. Clean Transport in Kampala: E-Bus Express launches new electric bus routes in Kira and plans to expand to Kampala Central, adding cashless MTN MoMo payments, Wi‑Fi and phone charging as the fleet targets 50 buses by year-end. Sand Mining Regulation: Uganda’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development drafts a Building Substances Bill to regulate sand mining, after a temporary pause on new mineral rights and licences. Health Systems & Care Integration: A new study highlights how Uganda’s HIV clinics could better deliver hypertension care, pointing to gaps between policy and frontline implementation. Malaria Alert: Health experts warn of rising malaria deaths among school children as parasites mutate and diagnosis becomes harder, urging faster testing and treatment. AI for Students: Google expands free Google AI Plus for university students across 27 African countries, including Uganda, with Gemini tools and cloud storage. Public Safety Tech Needs: CID says detective capacity is stretched (1:54 cases per detective) and calls for stronger digital investigation infrastructure as crime shifts online. EAC Education Reform: East African education leaders push for a measurable implementation compact and scorecard to track teacher and learning reforms across partner states. Ebola Border Measures: Canada extends Ebola-related entry restrictions affecting travellers from DRC, Uganda and South Sudan, with quarantine rules for arrivals.

Adolescent Health Policy: A new Uganda study says adolescent reproductive health policies are strong on paper but stall in real clinics, with a persistent gap between policymakers and frontline delivery in Kabale and Mbarara. Malaria Watch: Health experts warn of rising malaria deaths among school children as parasites mutate and diagnosis gets harder, urging faster testing and stronger prevention. AI for Students: Google expands its free Google AI Plus offer to students in 27 African countries, including Uganda, with Gemini tools and extra cloud storage. EAC Education Reform: EAC leaders push to turn education commitments into measurable results, proposing an implementation compact and a regional scorecard focused on teacher training and learning gaps. Rail Upgrade: Hyundai Rotem’s partnership is driving Tanzania’s electrified rail push, a major East Africa connectivity boost with new EMUs and locomotives. UPDF Somalia Exit: UPDF will withdraw all troops from Somalia by Aug 1, 2027, raising questions about mission capacity after earlier drawdowns. Uganda Airlines Restructuring: Uganda Airlines CEO says no mass layoffs are planned as restructuring targets staffing gaps and MPs scrutinize dismissals. Ebola Response Spillover: Canada extends Ebola-related entry bans for DRC, Uganda and South Sudan for another 30 days, keeping quarantine rules in place. Tech Talent Pipeline: Airtel Africa Foundation awards full fellowships to 20 Ugandan tech students for 2026/27.

East Africa Energy Politics: Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania keep reshuffling oil and refinery plans—from a proposed regional refinery route to new talks around a Dangote-linked Lamu option and a Vitol-backed US$20bn energy hub in Tanga—showing how infrastructure location can still spark regional friction. Cold-Chain Tech for Food: Samaking’s founder says resilient cold chains plus digital tools are unlocking East Africa’s “blue food” economy, after the firm reported a twelvefold revenue jump in seven months. Ebola Response and Travel Rules: Canada extended Ebola-related entry bans for people from DRC, Uganda and South Sudan for another 30 days, while Uganda’s Ebola outbreak is reported over—yet the DRC situation keeps expanding, with calls for faster, scaled vaccine and response efforts. Education Tracking in the EAC: EAC leaders push for an education implementation compact and a scorecard to turn commitments into measurable results across member states. Uganda Tech Talent: Airtel Africa Foundation awarded full fellowships to 20 Ugandan students in IT, computer science, cyber security, data science and AI. Public Health and Water: Busoga communities report unsafe, shared water sources, highlighting ongoing water and sanitation gaps. STEM in the Classroom: A proposal argues for game-based learning to strengthen freshwater resource management skills early in Uganda’s curriculum. Ebola Science Spotlight: A new satellite-tracking study maps migratory raptors along the East Asia–East Africa flyway, using GPS tags to reveal routes that were previously hard to document.

Ebola Preparedness: Uganda’s Ebola response gets a boost as the US donates monoclonal antibody treatment MBP134 to help the country act fast if cases are imported from the DRC, even as Uganda has reported no active cases. Public Health Recognition: WHO Africa formally recognises Uganda for interrupting Bundibugyo Ebola transmission and completing 42 days without a new confirmed case, highlighting community engagement and frontline work. Tech Education Funding: Airtel Africa Foundation awards full fellowships to 20 Ugandan first-year students for IT, software engineering, cyber security, data science and AI—aimed at building the next wave of local innovators. AI for African Languages: Intron launches Sahara v2.5, adding bilingual code-switching speech recognition for 12 African languages including Luganda, plus trilingual support across Kinyarwanda, English and French. Digital Learning for Water: A push to integrate game-based learning into Uganda’s curriculum to strengthen practical freshwater resource management skills from early grades. Fintech & Connectivity: Airtel Uganda reports H1 net profit up 13.9% on strong data demand, while Starlink connectivity expands via partners to reach remote areas. Agriculture & Food Systems: Experts argue Africa’s hunger needs integrated, systems-based farming solutions—not isolated tech fixes—while concerns over low cassava yields keep attention on productivity gaps.

Ebola Update: Uganda declared its Ebola outbreak over after 42 days with no new confirmed cases, following 20 total cases (mostly linked to DRC) and intensive contact monitoring; Vaccine Pipeline: CEPI-backed work continues as Minapharm secures $16.5m to push a Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine candidate toward early human trials, while DRC’s outbreak remains a major regional emergency; Public Health & Medicines: Experts warn antibiotic misuse is driving antimicrobial resistance, citing self-medication, incomplete doses, and non-prescription sales; Digital Connectivity: MTN Uganda partners with Starlink to extend satellite-enabled connectivity to remote enterprise customers, adding resilience where fibre/mobile coverage is limited; Mobile Money & Trust: A Uganda-focused analysis argues financial inclusion is mainly a trust and governance problem, not just technology; Policy for Innovation: Uganda’s science minister says government will back private university prototypes only when they show product viability for commercialisation; STEM & Inclusion: Researchers and educators warn Africa risks losing half its brightest minds due to slow innovation adoption and persistent gender inequality in STEM; Energy/Industry Tech: Blencowe reports new test results for Orom-Cross graphite in advanced battery technologies, including a planned military battery prototype; EAC Education: East African leaders push harmonised education systems to close regional learning gaps and improve teacher development.

Regional Education Reform: EAC partner states renewed calls for harmonized education systems—curricula, qualifications and teacher development—to close learning gaps and make cross-border schooling seamless. Health & Research: CEPI-backed work is pushing an African Ebola vaccine candidate for Bundibugyo Ebola into clinical trials, with Minapharm Group securing $16.5m to advance the program. Public Health Access: Uganda’s HIV, TB and malaria fight faces barriers beyond medicines, with an EOC assessment pointing to poverty, distance, stigma and disability blocking access and follow-up. Digital Connectivity: MTN Uganda partnered with Starlink to extend satellite-enabled connectivity to remote enterprise areas, targeting sectors like education, healthcare and agriculture. Digital Giving: MTN MoMo launched a faith-based digital giving menu (16511#) for tithes, zakat, sadaqah and more, improving itemised reporting for institutions. Agriculture & Food Security: NARO has started seed multiplication for four new Irish potato varieties (NAROPOT 7–10), aiming to boost yields and disease resistance in highland areas. Energy Risk: Kenya’s electricity reserve margin has fallen sharply, raising rationing concerns if outages or demand spikes hit. Innovation Policy: Government set conditions for supporting private university innovations only when prototypes show product viability for commercialisation. STEM Industry: Blencowe reported new test results for Orom-Cross graphite across advanced battery uses, including a planned US pilot production line.

Agri-Finance: ThriveAgric raised N5.3bn in Nigeria via a commercial paper debut to back smallholder farmers across multiple countries including Uganda. Malaria Genetics: A new study links a spreading malaria parasite genetic variant in Uganda to reduced susceptibility to key antimalarial drugs, raising the need for close monitoring. Public Accountability: President Museveni backed anti-corruption inspection tours by Local Government ministers, citing complaints over PDM, ghost workers and payroll fraud. Health Systems: An ALERT project study across Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda reports fewer stillbirths and newborn deaths after improved maternity training, quality support and perinatal tracking. ICT for Innovation: Uganda’s ICT ministry is pushing local tech onto global stages via expos and platforms under the Uganda-Japan UJ-Connect network. Oil & Climate: A methane control warning urges Uganda to set up stronger methane emissions rules before first oil. Space/Research: A Ugandan-based Fulbright-National Geographic grantee will study primate microbiomes at Lake Nabugabo. Education: Soroti mock exam results show many learners struggling with question interpretation, not just content.

Uganda Health Tech: Uganda Cancer Institute receives new high-definition video endoscopes, surgical sets and screening tools via the Korea-backed CANCAP-UG partnership, aiming to stop patients being turned away for basic scans. Malaria Fight: A Stanford-led team highlights paper centrifuges for malaria diagnosis in Uganda, tackling the lack of electricity and expensive lab equipment. Maternal Care: The ALERT project’s co-designed maternity intervention in 16 units across Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda cut early perinatal deaths by 22% and reduced oxygen-deprivation complications by 19%, using a digital perinatal register for feedback. Agriculture Innovation: NARO releases four new Irish potato varieties (NAROPOT 7, 8, 9, 10) with late blight resistance and 90–100 day maturity for wider farmer distribution. ICT & Connectivity: Uganda and Rwanda complete physical fibre interconnection at Mirama Hills, setting up stronger cross-border broadband. Digital Learning: Google opens AI Plus to higher-education students across 27 African countries for free for 12 months. STEM Policy & Skills: Uganda and Japan review progress on the UJ-Connect ICT Industry Promotion Project, focused on digital skills, entrepreneurship and policy support. Regional Energy & Trade: East Africa’s oil rivalry sharpens as Uganda-Tanzania push a Tanga energy hub while Kenya backs the Lamu refinery, raising questions about how regional infrastructure is planned. Finance & Fintech: MTN says it is exploring banking licences in selected African markets to expand lending using deposits from mobile-money “wallet floats,” alongside AI-enabled data centre investment.

Higher Education Reform: NCHE has started assessing about 700 university programmes to align with Uganda’s competence-based education and training system, with 322 of them in STEM, ahead of the 2027/2028 academic year. Primary School Curriculum: NCDC says the revised primary curriculum will roll out in 2028, including fewer lower-primary subjects, more PLE examinable subjects, and the introduction of Kiswahili in lower primary. Public Health & Sanitation: Mukono flagged unsafe school sanitation, with seven in 10 facilities not safely managed; Water For People is funding improved toilets at Lweza Primary and other schools. Ebola Research & Response: New clinical reporting from the DRC highlights how Ebola virus loads can be higher in the throat than blood, underscoring the need for fast, targeted outbreak detection and response. Ebola Vaccines Logistics: WHO and partners continue pushing vaccine deployment for the Bundibugyo outbreak in the DRC, stressing that having vaccines isn’t enough without reaching the right people in time. Industrialisation & Manufacturing: President Museveni inaugurated Roofings Group’s rolling mill phase, praising local value addition as Uganda deepens industrialisation. Energy Tech: A UK green firm plans to expand solar battery charging and rental hubs to support an “energy grid of the future,” with services already operating across Uganda and other African countries. Digital IDs: Somalia renewed calls for citizens to use the eAqoonsi digital ID app to access services more easily. Finance for Jobs: Uganda Development Bank says it disbursed Shs502.2b in 2025, supporting tens of thousands of jobs through long-term business financing.

Public Health & Schools: Mukono flags unsafe school sanitation as 7 in 10 facilities are not safely managed, pushing attendance and learning down; a $250,000 Water For People grant will upgrade toilets and menstrual hygiene facilities at Lweza Primary and three Entebbe schools. Transport & Urban Safety: Kampala’s 100-day crackdown on mechanically faulty taxis has left commuters stranded and sparked a surge in boda-boda use, with traffic police citing impoundments over worn tyres, brakes, lights and unsafe body conditions. AI in Health Regulation: AMCOA’s 28th conference in Accra urges African regulators to use AI and modern tech for safer online medical consultations, while strengthening harmonised standards, regulatory science and secure data sharing. Ebola Preparedness: WHO updates temporary guidance for the DRC’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, stressing faster detection, protected health workers, lab diagnosis and community risk communication. Space for Development: A report says African countries will pool over $800m for space projects in 2026, with nanosatellites helping cheaper data for weather, agriculture and drought/fire warnings. Digital Health Tech (Uganda): Uganda faces a radiology shortage (fewer than 60 radiologists for 45m people), and Luna Diagnostics is building an AI imaging tool to speed up X-ray interpretation. Space Internet in Uganda: Paratus Uganda and Roke Telkom are among firms rolling out Starlink satellite internet services. Governance & Land Tech: Lira residents challenge UCAA’s proposed international airport land claims, alleging overlap with privately titled land and pushing the dispute into court. Cyber & Fraud Risks: An Incode CEO warns that AI agents are amplifying fraud, especially on channels without verification layers.