How Covid has led to digital inclusion

NEMA Executive Director Dr Barirega Akankwasa opens a digital village in Nalufenya Ward, Jinja South Division, Jinja City, on November 18, 2021. PHOTO/PHILIP WAFULA

What you need to know:

The launch of a digital village in Nalufenya Ward, Jinja South Division brings to seven their number in the country, including at Old Kampala Mosque, Kololo, Bugiri, Bukerere, Buwenge and Mukono


While Covid-19 has been catastrophic, claimed lives and disrupted livelihoods, economies and ways of living, it is during the pandemic that people have learned and adopted the use of digital services, which has contributed to the increase in digital inclusion.

This has been partly possible through digital villages or ICT learning centres, which are essentially spaces equipped with computers and use uninterrupted power supply and broadband connection from nearby sites to provide communities with free education and training in ICT.

The launch of a digital village in Nalufenya Ward, Jinja South Division brings to seven their number in the country, including at Old Kampala Mosque, Kololo, Bugiri, Bukerere, Buwenge and Mukono.

Mr Charles Nsamba, the Public Affairs Manager ATC Uganda Ltd, the company that extended the digital village to Jinja, said the Covid-19 pandemic has in a way contributed to the increase in digital inclusion.

“Many more people had to use mobile money to purchase goods and services, people were relying on their digital gadgets for news and latest information about the pandemic, and traditional education made a shift as some schools adopted e-learning,” he said.

Mr Nsamba added that since inception of this initiative, about 578 students have been enrolled and of these, 478 have been awarded certifications, with some getting job placements.

The digital village era also comes at a time when the government, through Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), has directed telecom operators to ensure that within the next five years of their new licenses, they geographically cover 90 percent of Uganda with a network.

This underscores the recognition for connectivity and the government’s willingness to facilitate its masses into a digital shift.


It also comes at a time when President Museveni announced the resumption of physical classroom engagements for higher education institutions, which had been interrupted by Covid-19 for about two years.

Mr Jeremiah Masembe, the technical director Mass Projects Uganda Ltd, the build contractors for Digital Communities (DCs) in Uganda, said they are also contracted to manage both operation and maintenance of the DCs and content on behalf of ATC.

“Content is managed through our partner Ndejje University, who designed the curriculum, prepared and reviewed the content, conducts training of trainers and awards certificates of attendance,” Mr Masembe said.

ATC activities are regulated by UCC and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

The NEMA Executive Director, Dr Barirega Akankwasa, said while they are regulators, they also ensure that development happens, but in a sustainable manner that contributes to the well-being of the current generation without compromising the well-being of the generations to come.

Dr Akankwasa dispelled concerns that such towers are responsible for cancer and miscarriages in humans.

“I want to assure you that as per the latest science, radiation from the towers are safe for human well-being; the wavelength of mast radiation is high compared to short wave radiation that causes cancer.

“The radio frequency is too low to cause any impact on your DNA and this low wave radiation is not concentrated on the low (down) level where humans are; so the risks are too remote and there is no reason to conclude that there are health-related radiations linked to the towers,” Dr Akankwasa explained.

Mr Nsamba said before any tower is erected, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is done and the immediate neighbours are spoken to such that if there are any dangers, an explanation is given on how they will be mitigated.