There are massive opportunities in ICT innovations, says expert

How far has government gone with setting up an Innovation Fund for startups?
We have information that the Innovation Fund was incorporated into the annual plans of the ministry of ICT & National Guidance and was given a nod of approval by the President.
We look forward to engaging with the ministry to implement the Fund and ensure it reaps great benefit to the entire sector and especially for young innovators.
The process of implementation should commence soon after the reading of the next Budget when the funds should be made available.

One of the challenges affecting ICT growth in the country is funding. How can this be addressed?
It depends on how you define ICT growth. One way to look at growth is to consider the trend of access and adoption of ICT and ICT-enabled services.
From this perspective, growth is a function of affordability (devices, Internet and so on), and literacy. But if you look at ICT from the solutions point of view, funding remains a key challenge affecting the number of Ugandan ICT solutions on the market. This is mainly because of the way our industry has been organised over the last few years.
Most ICT professionals had been working on projects out of the formal sector. As a result, it was difficult to track them and even channel support to them.
But of late, the establishment of incubation hubs, and the ICT association as the umbrella body for the private sector means there is now a fair record of who is doing what in the industry.
This has since created avenues for funding both startups and other ICT companies looking to add to their product portfolio. For example, mid last year, Outbox Hub – one of the country’s major incubation hubs – announced that it had raised more than $1m (Shs3.6b) during the four years in which it has been operating.
There are many ways in which we can address this without relying solely on the government. We should get more private sector players to invest in innovation and manufacturing. There are massive opportunities here and the roll-on effect of investing in ICT builds all other sectors in many ways.
In developed economies this funding is arranged through venture capitalists and other such private arrangements.

Uganda has one of the highest rates of internet in the region but ICT penetration is affected by the high cost of data. Why is this so?
The cost of data is still relatively high. But through sustained engagements with stakeholders, it is our belief that there will be different programmes that can help provide connectivity to the public.
Government, through the National Information Technology Authority has already taken the first step by introducing the MyUG free WiFi connectivity to areas around Kampala at specific times.
As the association, we highly commend this effort.

Are Ugandans ready for the technological disruption?
Most definitely! And I must point out that we have people here running their lives using apps and devices conceptualised, developed and manufactured in other countries and even continents.
If we can use those so readily then we should be able to develop our own here and insinuate them right into the rural parts of the country for the most ordinary users.

What is the role of the ICT Association of Uganda?
Formed in 2012, the ICT Association of Uganda is a multi-stakeholder initiative formed by private sector-based Ugandans with the vision of providing professional guidance to individuals and organisations in the private sector, as well as offering advisory services to government on policy-based issues.
The association seeks to become the foremost and largest forum for ICT practitioners, managers, researchers and policy makers to share their knowledge and experience on the technology, adoption, localisation, management and policy on development informatics in the country.

ICT is increasingly becoming a part and parcel of the corporate companies today. How prepared are Ugandan companies for ICT?
The message we need to send out to Ugandan companies is that ICT, as an enabler for businesses, will automatically and dramatically transform the business processes to make the business process more efficient while reducing the costs of operating very dramatically.
Unfortunately, most of our businesses are not fully sensitised as to the actual benefit of embracing ICTs as an enabler for businesses. Such sensitisation is an activity various stakeholders have to continue to pursue, as we move towards a completely digital literate and digitised society and economy respectively.

What is your outlook for 2017?
This is a key year for the association, partly because of the upcoming leadership changes at the Board level, but also because of the industry initiatives the association will undertake. We are already in consultations with key stakeholders in a bid to identify and implement programmes that will directly benefit members as well as the industry in general.
For example, the key discussion at the leadership level right now is for the association to organise the inaugural Uganda ICT Expo and create a platform through which we can showcase the creative talents and opportunities available within our industry.

Apart from being chairman of the ICT association, who exactly is Albert Mucunguzi?
Albert is a Ugandan ICT entrepreneur and current chairman of the ICT Association of Uganda (ICTAU).
I possess extensive experience in the Information Technology environment, having worked both in the educational setting at University and in the private sector, a period spanning across six years.
During the same period, I also set up an IT firm offering web-based technology solutions including development and hosting.
My role in the industry extends beyond solutions development and entrepreneurship. In 2011, a number of industry colleagues and I came together and pioneered the formation of the ICTAU in a bid to harmonise the integration of ICT service providers in the country.
I served on the board of directors as the Secretary General for four years, until January 2016, before being elected as chairman, on interim basis, in October 2016.
During my first term as Secretary General, the ICTAU was also selected as an implementing partner in a $ 1m project funded by International Trade Centre (ITC), with the sole objective of increasing ICT exports from Uganda. For the ICTAU, I was the ‘focal point’ in this project; taking care of the ICTAU’s and its members’ interests in the project planning and implementation.
But since May 2015, I have been engaged in marketing and integrated communications for MTN Uganda, specifically in charge of public relations and digital strategies.

Albert mucunguzi

Mr Albert Mucunguzi, a Ugandan ICT entrepreneur and current chairman of the ICT Association of Uganda says the country should get more private sector players to invest in innovation and manufacturing because, according to him, there are massive opportunities in ICT and the roll-on effect of investing in ICT builds all other sectors in many ways.