Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda’s technology ecosystem is quietly but steadily redefining what innovation looks like in East Africa.
From artificial intelligence (AI) to virtual reality (VR), local innovators are moving beyond experimentation to build practical, scalable solutions that address real challenges — particularly in healthcare, education, and service delivery.
This momentum was on full display in a recent episode of The Ugandan Podcast, which convened leading voices in emerging technology to explore what it takes to move innovation from concept to impact.
The episode featured Grace Kebirungi, Project Coordinator for Health Innovation Projects at the African Centre of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data-Intensive Sciences; Martin Mukama of Mbarara University of Science and Technology; and Dr Sylvia Nabukenya, a Research Scientist at the Makerere AI Health Lab. Together, the panel offered a grounded perspective on Uganda’s innovation landscape — one shaped less by hype and more by collaboration, ethics, and systems thinking.
Rather than dwelling on familiar challenges such as limited funding or infrastructure gaps, the discussion focused on solutions. The panelists agreed that Uganda already possesses much of the technical talent it needs. What remains critical, they said, is stronger coordination across disciplines and institutions.
Dr Nabukenya, whose work lies at the intersection of AI and healthcare, underscored the role of collaboration in unlocking investment and scale.
“Funding follows collaboration,” she said. “When innovators, clinicians, software developers, language experts, and health economists come together around a community-validated problem, it becomes easier to develop strong proposals and attract meaningful investment.”
Mukama approached the discussion from the university pipeline, arguing that Uganda’s competitiveness depends on how well students are prepared for real-world innovation.
“A thriving ecosystem is one where innovators do not have to chase funding abroad,” he said. “Government, academia, and the private sector must jointly create structures that nurture ideas from prototype to commercialisation.”
He added that students should graduate with more than theoretical knowledge. “They need exposure, mentorship, and real environments where ideas are turned into products.”
Kebirungi brought the VR conversation into sharp focus by highlighting the role of women, precision, and opportunity in emerging technologies. She argued that women have a natural advantage in VR development due to their attention to detail.
“When someone wears a VR headset, they are completely cut off from the real world,” she explained. “That virtual environment must feel accurate, comfortable, and human. Attention to detail is everything.”
She encouraged young women to see themselves as creators in the VR space. “To any young woman watching who never imagined VR could belong to her — this is your space too. Emerging technologies need your eye, your touch, and your creativity.”
Kebirungi also challenged the notion that women belong only in design roles. “Beyond design, women absolutely have a place in programming. Courses teach theory, but the transition into real-world development requires practical environments, and that is what we provide at the African Centre of Excellence.”
The conversation returned to AI and the responsibilities that come with data use. Dr Nabukenya called for the establishment of a national health data storage facility, which she described as a missing foundation for innovation in Uganda.
“Clinical data is collected every day across both public and private sectors,” she said. “If innovators had access to a secure, centralised, and well-managed health data repository, we would significantly accelerate the development of AI tools that truly serve our population.”
She warned that fragmented data continues to slow research and innovation. “A one-stop health data centre would empower our students, innovators, and institutions to build solutions Uganda needs today and in the future.”
Ethics emerged as a recurring theme throughout the discussion. Dr Nabukenya stressed the importance of transparency in data collection and usage.
“People need to understand what their data is being used for, how it may support commercial tools, and how they are contributing to society,” she said. “Consent is more than a signature. When communities understand and agree to how their data will be used, they feel ownership of the final product, and that trust makes adoption easier.”
Mukama concluded the discussion with a call to action for academic institutions.
“Universities must become innovation ecosystems — places where data is collected, problems are defined, and solutions are built,” he said. “When universities host innovation hubs, students graduate with prototypes, solutions, and even viable businesses. That shift creates job creators, not job seekers.”
By the end of the episode, a clear message emerged: Uganda’s tech growth is gaining momentum because its innovators are blending collaboration, ethics, precision, and bold thinking.
AI and VR are no longer distant concepts — they are tools being shaped in labs, classrooms, and community spaces across the country. The future is already in motion, and Uganda’s innovators are stepping forward to build it.
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