The 2nd National ICT Summit concluded today at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, marking the end of a successful two-day gathering focused on scaling Uganda’s digital economy through innovation and inclusion. Convened by the ICT Association of Uganda (ICTAU) with support from Roke Telkom and other industry stakeholders, the summit brought together public and private sector leaders, innovators, and development partners to align efforts around Uganda’s digital transformation agenda.

Day Oneof the summit had present delegates engaged in a series of thought-provoking panel discussions featuring tech leaders and policy experts. These sessions tackled critical issues at the heart of Uganda’s digital shift, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital skilling, and the infrastructure powering East Africa’s growing tech economy.

There were also speakers like Dr. Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, who delivered a keynote address on “The Digital Transformation Roadmap as a National Growth Engine.” She outlined the government’s vision for positioning ICT as a driver of economic development, job creation, and service delivery, urging stakeholders to invest in scalable, inclusive digital infrastructure and solutions.

The momentum carried into the second day, where focus shifted toward regional cooperation, infrastructure development, and inclusive innovation. A major highlight was a powerful address by Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, who delivered a compelling keynote on the role of digital transformation in national development.

“Digital transformation is not just a technological shift; it is an economic imperative,” she said. “Our vision is to create a knowledge-based economy, where our people are producers of innovation, not just consumers. We must foster a digitally skilled population, support local innovators, and ensure that no one is left behind as we build Uganda’s place in the global digital economy,” she added.

Roke Telkom, Uganda’s leading home-grown telecommunications provider, reaffirmed its commitment to enabling this vision by investing in digital infrastructure and supporting emerging innovations. Timothy Mugenyi, Head of Partnerships and Community Impact at Roke Telkom, represented the company as a panellist in one of the summit’s most dynamic discussions titled, “Unlocking East Africa’s Digital Economy in Trade, Innovation, and Inclusive Digital Transformation.”

The session also featured a distinguished lineup of panellists, including:

• Michael Mukasa, CEO, Liquid Intelligent Technologies
• Tindomweba Brian, Head of IT Operations and Infrastructure, Stanbic Bank
• Collin Babirukamu, Executive Director IT, Bank of Uganda
• Bob Atuhaire Norman, Manager, Technology and Innovation, Clarkson Insurance Brokers

The conversation explored the critical building blocks for East Africa’s digital economy, including regional interoperability, data governance, fintech growth, and inclusive access to infrastructure.

Reflecting on the topic, Mugenyi emphasised the shift from traditional systems to digital-first models.“So in summary, we are shifting the value creation from the traditional economy, which we have known, to the digital economy,” he said.
“We are proud to support this shift by providing reliable infrastructure and platforms like Roke Cloud, which empower innovators to scale impactful solutions faster and more affordably.” He added

Through initiatives like Roke Cloud, the company is enabling innovators and entrepreneurs in key sectors such as AgriTech, HealthTech, EduTech, IoT, and BPO to bring solutions to market, contributing to Uganda’s Digital Transformation Roadmap (2023/24–2027/28) and Vision 2040.

As the summit closed, there was a strong sense of unity and shared purpose among participants. Leaders from across sectors agreed on the need to work more collaboratively, combining resources, expertise, and innovation to accelerate digital progress, dismantle barriers to access, nurture local talent, and champion homegrown solutions that will shape an inclusive, resilient, and globally competitive digital economy that leaves no Ugandan behind.