App to aid interaction with President launched

By Noah Jagwe

HURDLES of reaching the president of Uganda will be a thing of the past following the launch of a mobile application that facilitates the sending of ideas and suggestions pertaining matters affecting Ugandans.

The application "Reach the President" will provide an interaction between Ugandans of all walks on matters such as security, corruption, infrastructure and other development concerns directly with President Museveni.

The platform has been developed by both Ugandan students studying abroad majoring in Information Communication Technology (ICT) under the John Kale Foundation.

Addressing Journalists in Kampala, one of the brains behind the project, Mawanda Romeo said the initiative will enable all the people develop a sense of ownership and actively participate in the development of Uganda.

"We are quite sure that once Ugandans welcome this idea, it will prompt the president to assign a specific department to attend to the issues raised most by Ugandans," Mawanda noted.

He said after being put to task as to why the initiative has come at this material time when general elections are underway, he clarified that the mobile application is not for political campaigns.

"This application is not intended for political scores but for all Ugandans no matter their political affiliations,"Mawanda said.

Makerere University Professor from the ICT department, Milton Omuluga welcomed the initiative expressing his happiness that Ugandans can now freely interact with the head of state on various issues affecting them.

"I am very proud that Ugandans have sat down and thought ways of reaching their leaders," Omuluga added.

How the application works

A user with an android smart phone will be required to download the application on from Google Play store and install it on their handset.

According to Jesse Musaasizi, an ICT graduate who is also part of the development team said the initiative will also teach Ugandans on proper use of phones as a tool for development other than a tool for sharing pornographic material.