How AI could transform Uganda's public services through mobile phones

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OPINION

By Samuel Kalule Kibirige

Every day, Ugandans trek to government offices seeking basic information: how to register a business, access disease-resistant seeds through government programs, understand licensing requirements, or renew a national ID. The answers already exist, meticulously documented in government manuals and official publications.

But this vast wealth of knowledge (farming protocols, health schedules, business laws, licensing procedures, etc.) remains largely inaccessible, trapped in static documents and buried within hard-to-navigate bureaucratic systems. Citizens waste time and money at complex service centres pursuing answers that should be at their fingertips.

This gap between the public and its own information is the digital divide holding back national progress.

What if every Ugandan could access this government knowledge instantly, without leaving home? Emerging artificial intelligence technology suggests it's possible. The solution lies in Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), a specialised AI approach that works exclusively with verified sources rather than the unreliable open internet. Picture a digital system that retrieves information only from official government documents, then delivers precise, easy-to-understand answers in seconds. While no such system exists in Uganda yet, the technology is proven, affordable, and particularly well-suited to bridging this exact information gap.

The potential applications are vast, but five areas stand out as particularly transformative. These are places where better information access could immediately improve lives and livelihoods:

Farmers Advisory Bot: Smallholder farmers, who make up 68% of Uganda's population, often miss out on government input distribution programs simply because they don't know when applications open or what documents they need. An AI system could provide instant answers about Parish Development Model (PDM) eligibility, e-voucher registration for fertilisers and seeds, and how to access veterinary services, turning awareness into participation.

Healthcare Navigation: Patients waste entire days travelling to health centres only to find the facility lacks the service they need. Real-time information on which centres offer specific treatments, current drug availability, immunisation schedules, and disease prevention could save both time and lives.

Business and Start-Up Guide: Entrepreneurs abandon formal registration because the process seems impossibly complex. Breaking down URSB, URA, and local licensing requirements into simple, sequential steps could unlock thousands of new businesses and increase tax revenue.

Education Information Gateway: Parents struggle to understand which documents their children need for school, when to register for exams, or whether they qualify for government support. Clear, accessible information on Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) policies, enrolment requirements, and examination schedules could reduce school dropout rates and improve enrolment.

Identity Services: NIRA offices are overwhelmed with people asking basic questions that could be answered digitally. Information on renewal timelines, required documents, and mobile registration schedules would reduce office congestion while ensuring more citizens get registered on time.

Even the best information system fails if citizens can't access it. Multiple channels would need to work together: web portals integrated into ministry websites for office workers, smartphone apps with rich multimedia for urban users, and SMS services for quick queries. Each has value.

However, Uganda's digital reality (27% internet penetration, feature phones dominating in rural areas where 76% of Ugandans live) points to one channel as essential for true national impact: USSD.

It's the same technology behind mobile money services. No internet required, no smartphone needed, works on the most basic Nokia. Dial a code like *252#, follow simple text prompts, get verified answers instantly.

That Karamoja farmer checking livestock management advice or a Kampala entrepreneur confirming licensing requirements would use the exact same familiar interface they already trust for mobile money. While web portals and apps serve important segments, USSD reaches everyone, making it not just another option, but the foundation any national solution must be built on.

The technology exists. The need is undeniable. What remains is the decision to act. By leveraging RAG AI through accessible channels like USSD, Uganda could transform its information infrastructure from a barrier into a bridge. Government knowledge would shift from static documents gathering dust to dynamic answers delivered at the speed of a text message. Citizens would spend less time in queues and more time building businesses, improving farms, and accessing services. And perhaps most importantly, the gap between the public and its own information (the digital divide that has quietly held back progress for decades) could finally begin to close.

The writer is an AI and machine learning professional