Govt to launch National AI Strategy this year
The move comes amid concerns that formal policy frameworks take too long to formulate, leaving regulatory bodies heavily reliant on the existing Data Protection and Privacy Act to manage emerging AI applications.
While Uganda has largely been adopting off-the-shelf market technologies rather than customising local solutions, the government plans to aggressively harness AI's predictive capabilities. (Photo by Ponsiano Nsimbi)
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The government is set to launch its highly anticipated National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy before the end of this year, shifting toward agile, sector-specific regulations to keep pace with rapid technological advances.
The move comes amid concerns that formal policy frameworks take too long to formulate, leaving regulatory bodies heavily reliant on the existing Data Protection and Privacy Act to manage emerging AI applications.
Speaking on the balance between tech policy and development, Julian Rweju, the Director of eGovernment Services at the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U), acknowledged the structural delays in traditional policymaking.
"The challenge with technology is that regulation usually comes late," Rweju stated, noting that technology evolves so fast that a policy can become obsolete by the time it is enacted. "If you wait for the process of AI to be made policy, a lot will be dummy."
To counter this, NITA-U is encouraging individual sectors to bypass long policy queues and draft immediate guidelines independently.
“We are encouraging sectors to come up with regulations because a policy may take long. The other day, we saw Bank of Uganda coming up with regulations to support AI,” she said.
Rweju was addressing an audience at the National Identification and Registration Authority Expo at Kololo Independence Grounds, where sponsors and exhibitors are discussing several matters, especially the importance of registering citizens at the three-day expo, which ends on Thursday, October 1st.
Organised by NIRA, the expo has been sponsored by Bank of Uganda, New Vision, NITA-U, Uganda Security Printing Corporation, Kampala Capital City Authority and Tahafula.
Customising services through predictive analytics
While Uganda has largely been adopting off-the-shelf market technologies rather than customising local solutions, the government plans to aggressively harness AI's predictive capabilities.
According to Rweju, the government is embedding AI across its core platforms and infrastructure to generate predictive reports. By linking e-services to the National ID portal, authorities plan to track citizen behavioural patterns to deliver tailored public services. For instance, if an individual frequently searches for agricultural data, the system will dynamically customise services to match those specific needs.
Furthermore, AI is being deployed to resolve identity verification bottlenecks. By cross-referencing biometrics, the technology is helping government agencies accurately differentiate citizens who share identical names.
“You find Ugandans having the same name. You find Kizito Peter and another Kizito Peter. AI helps us identify people with biometrics,” she said.
The push for human-centric AI Governance
Christopher Kantinti, communications ICT officer at the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), emphasised that the future of technology must lead with robust governance.
Kantinti underscored the necessity of human oversight, arguing that automated choices affecting human lives must never be final.
"A decision that is made by an AI system should be editable," Kantinti stated. "Something that affects an individual should not be left to AI to determine. They should be able to accept corrections."