AGP Executive Report

Ebola Watch: Uganda says it has no active Ebola cases after a Nigerian patient transited through the country; health officials are strengthening screening while investigations continue. Data Governance: The ICT Ministry has launched a national data strategy to improve data sharing and use, but UBOS says the plan conflicts with its legal mandate over official statistics. Farm Safety: Agriculture officials are expanding inspections and proposing a new regulator to tackle fake farm inputs and animal diseases, as Bukomansimbi farmers report ineffective pesticides. Digital Learning: Airtel Uganda has upgraded facilities at four schools, bringing computers and internet access to 3,349 learners and 83 teachers. Applied Research: A Makerere-led project in Luweero found that coordinating water, sanitation and waste planning can improve services in small towns.

Data Governance: UBOS has called the ICT Ministry’s new National Data Strategy unlawful, arguing official statistics fall under its mandate. The dispute could shape how government data is shared and prepared for planned AI adoption. Homegrown AI: Ugandan technologist Ernest Mwebaze says his Sunflower service uses an open-source Chinese model to provide farmers with weather updates and advice in more than 30 local languages. Water and Sanitation: A four-year Makerere-linked project reports gains from coordinating water, sanitation and waste planning in Kakoge and Wobulenzi, Luweero, rather than treating each service separately. Climate-Smart Farming: Irrigation is helping Agago farmers grow crops through prolonged dry spells, while agricultural researchers and officials are urging more support to get research-based innovations into farmers’ hands. Ebola Monitoring: Nigeria confirmed a Bundibugyo Ebola case in a woman who travelled from eastern DRC via Uganda. Ugandan authorities said transit did not mean infection occurred in Uganda and reported no active confirmed cases at the time.

Public Health: Nigeria confirmed an Ebola case in Abuja in a woman reported to have travelled from Uganda; Uganda says it has no active cases, after being declared Ebola-free in August. Digital Strategy: Uganda launched a National Data Strategy requiring Shs1.6 trillion over five years for data infrastructure, governance, research, innovation and skills. Engineering: Fresh scrutiny of defects at the 183MW Isimba dam has raised concern about repairs ahead of the rainy season and the safety of its spillway. Health Research: An Oxford-developed Ebola vaccine trial is underway in Uganda, as the regional Bundibugyo outbreak continues. Agriculture: NARO and partners report improved rice harvests among refugees and host communities in West Nile, following new seed varieties and farming methods. Technology Skills: Victoria University leaders urged graduates to build AI skills as technology reshapes work; more than 40% of this year’s graduates studied science-related courses.

Dam Safety: A fresh inspection at Isimba reviewed spillway damage and concrete erosion, but no repair deadline was confirmed as Uganda enters the rainy season. AI and Skills: Victoria University graduated 2,600 students, with leaders urging them to build AI skills; the university says 89% of graduates are already employed. Water Infrastructure: NWSC is seeking Shs650 billion to improve supply reliability in 50 towns, including areas where water must be piped long distances. Medical Technology: A health-systems commentary warns that a CE mark alone does not guarantee a device is safe; buyers should verify supporting documents, device details and post-market performance. Digital Payments: Bank of India Uganda has launched its first debit card through Interswitch, giving customers access to more than 800 ATMs and 20,000 merchant locations.

Pharmacy Education: Uganda’s pharmacists’ body withdrew recognition of MUST’s pharmacy degree, citing staffing and administrative failures, and advised students to seek transfers or await corrective action. Digital Payments: Bank of India Uganda has issued its first debit cards through Interswitch, giving customers access to more than 800 ATMs and 20,000 merchant locations. Waste Technology: KCCA is moving toward modern systems to turn garbage into useful products, as it plans to end dumping at Buyala landfill. Ebola Research: Uganda has begun a Phase 1 trial of an Oxford-developed Ebola vaccine, adding to local efforts to strengthen outbreak preparedness. Crop Innovation: Uganda has unveiled three purple-fleshed sweet potato varieties aimed at improving nutrition and food security.

Ebola Research: Kenya plans to offer remdesivir to patients with Bundibugyo Ebola, though its effectiveness is unproven; Uganda is among its partners. Separately, an Oxford-led phase-one Ebola vaccine trial has begun in Uganda. Digital Learning: Airtel Uganda is extending computer labs, 40 computers and high-speed internet to four more schools, reaching 3,349 learners. Industrial Skills: Twenty Ugandans earned international occupational safety and non-destructive testing certifications, building skills for oil, gas and other industries. Farm Innovation: Uganda has unveiled three purple-fleshed sweet potato varieties aimed at improving nutrition and food security. Waste Technology: KCCA is advancing plans for modern facilities to turn Kampala’s garbage into useful products and reduce landfill dumping.

Ebola Response: Uganda has begun a first-stage trial of an Oxford-developed vaccine against Bundibugyo Ebola, with five volunteers in Masaka. The trial is underway as Kenya reports eight cases, including health workers, and the outbreak spreads to an eighth province in the DRC. Farm Science: Ugandan researchers have developed three purple-fleshed sweet potato varieties rich in vitamins and antioxidants, aiming to improve nutrition and food security. Health Technology: Researchers in southwestern Uganda are assessing an AI-powered sputum test for tuberculosis, which could help make diagnosis more accurate. Dam Safety: Unrepaired spillway damage at Isimba has raised fresh concerns about the dam’s ability to handle heavy rains, prompting renewed calls for repairs before the wet season.

Ebola Research and Readiness: The DRC outbreak has spread to an eighth province, while Kenya reports seven cases, including three health workers. Uganda has tightened border screening, as an Oxford-developed Ebola vaccine enters a phase-one trial with volunteers in Uganda; protection against the circulating strain remains unproven. Infrastructure Safety: Engineers warn that erosion and other unrepaired defects at Isimba Dam could leave its spillway unable to handle full design flows as heavy rains approach. Food Science: NARO has unveiled three purple-fleshed sweet potato varieties developed in Uganda, offering vitamins A and C and antioxidant compounds to support nutrition and food security. Climate Research: Ugandan hydrologist Derrick Muheki has helped digitise handwritten climate records from the Congo Basin, revealing the scale of regional warming.

Ebola Research: Uganda’s Oxford-led Bundibugyo vaccine trial has begun in Masaka, where volunteers are being assessed for safety and immune response; it is too early to know if the candidate prevents disease. The regional outbreak is escalating: Kenya has confirmed seven cases, including three health workers, and one death, with new infections found among people in quarantine. Food Science: Ugandan researchers have developed a purple-fleshed sweet potato rich in vitamins A and C, aimed at improving nutrition. Climate Monitoring: New weather stations are targeting deadly floods in eastern Uganda, as the country faces the October–December rains. Energy Infrastructure: Engineers are reviewing unresolved erosion and other defects at Isimba Dam ahead of the rainy season, raising concerns about whether its spillway can safely handle high water.

Infrastructure: Uganda commissioned the Shs191 billion Katonga Bridge, a raised replacement designed to withstand flooding and last 120 years, restoring a key transport link to the southwest. Ebola Research: Oxford researchers have begun a first-in-human trial of a Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine in Uganda, with initial testing focused on safety and immune response—not proof it prevents infection. Agricultural Science: Uganda unveiled three purple-fleshed sweet potato varieties developed by NARO, aiming to improve nutrition, food security and farmer incomes; stakeholders also urged that research reach farms as practical, affordable solutions. Climate Monitoring: New and upgraded weather stations across eastern Uganda will track conditions and support forecasts, farm planning and flood and landslide alerts.

Ebola Research: Uganda has begun a phase-one trial of an Oxford-developed vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain, with volunteers vaccinated in Masaka. Researchers are assessing safety and immune response, not whether it prevents infection; no licensed vaccine exists for this strain. Kenya has confirmed a third case, a close relative of its first patients who was already in quarantine. Agricultural Innovation: Uganda unveiled three purple-fleshed sweet potato varieties developed by NARO, highlighting their nutritional value and potential for food processing. Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze urged researchers to turn science into practical solutions for farmers and food security. Flood Preparedness: The government is investing Shs500 million in weather monitoring and early-warning systems across 11 eastern districts, including three new automatic stations, to support forecasting and responses to floods and landslides. Cybersecurity: NITA-U is taking part in an African leadership programme in Morocco on managing cyber risks, including those linked to AI, as more public services move online.

Climate Monitoring: Uganda is investing Sh500 million in weather stations and flood early-warning systems across 11 eastern districts, improving information for forecasts, farming and disaster response. Agricultural Research: NARO has released three purple-fleshed sweet potato varieties developed by NaCRRI. Researchers say the antioxidant-rich crops could offer new processing opportunities, including flour and snacks. Cybersecurity: NITA-U is taking part in an African leadership programme in Morocco on managing cyber risks, protecting critical infrastructure and securing digital government services. Health Technology: A £9 million UK investment supports Uganda’s health sector, including training 53 health workers in bedside ultrasound to help guide diagnosis and treatment. Digital Trade: Uganda is pushing an AU plan for a single African digital market by 2030, with efforts to harmonise trade rules and make cross-border online sales easier.

Ebola Research: Uganda’s Phase I trial of an Oxford-developed Bundibugyo vaccine is underway in Masaka, targeting 110 volunteers. Researchers will assess safety and immune response; the trial will not yet show whether the vaccine prevents illness. Regional Surveillance: Kenya has confirmed a second linked case, detected while the patient was in quarantine, and Uganda has tightened screening at its DRC border. Homegrown AI: African developers are using open-source AI to build local tools; Uganda’s Sunflower project provides farmers with weather and agricultural information. Public Health: A Health Ministry report says only about one in 10 Ugandans practises proper handwashing, while diarrhoeal disease kills 33 children under five daily. TB Detection: Researchers are validating an AI-driven sputum analysis platform for tuberculosis detection in southwestern Uganda.

AI and Connectivity: Ugandan technologist Ernest Mwebaze’s Sunflower uses AI to give farmers weather updates and agricultural advice, while Airtel’s Starlink service brings texting and light data to phones beyond tower coverage. Public Health: Uganda’s Health Ministry says diarrhoeal disease claims 33 children under five each day, while only one in ten Ugandans practises proper handwashing. Agricultural Research: NACORI is testing five coffee varieties bred to withstand heat and drought, offering a potential tool against climate-related crop losses. Clean Energy: Solarise Africa has secured a $1.12 million grant to expand solar and battery projects in Uganda and Zambia, targeting 3MW of new capacity. Air Quality: Makerere’s AirQo project is urging African cities to expand pollution monitoring and use the data to guide public-health action. Ebola Preparedness: Kenya has confirmed a second linked Bundibugyo Ebola case; Uganda has tightened screening at its DRC border and secured 3,000 doses for vaccine trials.

Ebola Preparedness: Kenya has confirmed a second Bundibugyo Ebola case in a quarantined contact, underscoring the value of monitoring and early isolation. Uganda has tightened screening at its DRC border and secured 3,000 doses for vaccine trials. Agricultural Research: NARO is multiplying drought-resilient cassava at a 200-acre site in Karamoja, aiming to improve farmers’ access to planting material and strengthen food security. Digital Transport: Uganda’s number-plate tracking project faces fresh questions over its contract, cost and performance, with the Attorney General telling MPs the agreement is not binding. Technology in Schools: Kampala education stakeholders are calling for clear rules on digital tools, warning that technology can widen access but may undermine learning if poorly managed. Internet Access: UCC’s planned crackdown on unlicensed Wi-Fi sellers raises concerns about enforcement and affordability for Ugandans who rely on low-cost connections.

Digital Government: Uganda has launched a National Communication Policy to coordinate public messaging and expand digital services, while aiming not to exclude citizens with limited internet access. Climate-Smart Farming: NARO is using a 200-acre cassava facility in Karamoja to multiply drought-resilient varieties and show farmers how to grow them as a dependable food reserve. Transport Technology: Parliament is scrutinising the US$25 million vehicle-tracking system after former ministers disputed its effectiveness and value. Internet Access: UCC plans enforcement against about 4,000 unlicensed Wi-Fi operators, raising concerns that tighter rules could make internet access less affordable. AI Ambitions: President Museveni and a US technology investor discussed cooperation on AI and digital infrastructure, with a goal of positioning Uganda as a leading African AI hub. Food Innovation: In Kyaka II, refugee farmers are raising black soldier flies as affordable feed for poultry and fish, and using the residue as fertiliser.