UGANDA HIGHLIGHTS DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AGENDA AT ITU CONFERENCE

DOHA, November 11, 2026 – Uganda has reaffirmed its commitment to building a connected, inclusive and sustainable digital future in which everyone has access to affordable, secure and meaningful connectivity, while technology is harnessed to empower communities, drive innovation and support sustainable development.

The vision was outlined by the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Rt. Hon. Justine Kasule Lumumba, while delivering Uganda’s ministerial policy statement at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-26) in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday.

The Minister highlighted the country’s efforts to expand access to digital services, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach communities. These include interventions supported through the Universal Access Fund, such as the establishment of ICT public access centres, telecommunications infrastructure development in underserved areas and the extension of internet connectivity to schools.

According to the Minister, these interventions have contributed to Uganda achieving 96% population network coverage, as reported by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) in 2025.

However, she noted that expanding network coverage alone was not enough to guarantee meaningful digital inclusion. Uganda was also working to address affordability and usage gaps that continue to prevent many people from fully benefiting from digital connectivity, she said.

To bridge these gaps, the Government has prioritised digital skills development, with more than 100,000 young people trained over the past three years. The Minister also highlighted UCC’s e-Booster Programme, through which Uganda supports the development of homegrown ICT solutions. The programme recently received an award from the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO).

The Minister’s address came on Day Three of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026, which got underway in Doha on Monday, bringing together political, regulatory and industry leaders from across the world to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities shaping the global digital landscape.

Held every four years, the Plenipotentiary Conference is the ITU’s supreme policy-making body. It sets the Union’s strategic direction, approves its financial plans and elects its senior leadership and governing bodies for the next four years.

This year’s conference, held under the theme “Together for a Connected, Digital Future,” has attracted approximately 3,000 participants. Key issues on the agenda include expanding connectivity and investment, strengthening the resilience of digital infrastructure, improving emergency and humanitarian communications, advancing space-based connectivity and sustainability, and harnessing emerging technologies for development.

A major highlight is the election of the ITU’s senior leadership, including the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General and Directors of the Radiocommunication, Telecommunication Standardization and Telecommunication Development Bureaux. Delegates will also elect the 12 members of the Radio Regulations Board, which oversees the application and interpretation of the international treaty governing the use of radio-frequency spectrum. The conference will further elect 48 Member States to serve on the ITU Council, the Union’s governing body between Plenipotentiary Conferences.

Uganda is seeking re-election to the Council, representing Africa (Region D), which is allocated 13 seats. Making a case for Uganda’s re-election, Minister Lumumba cited the country’s active participation in the work of the ITU, including its leadership of the Council Working Group on the Use of the Six UN Languages.

She also recalled Uganda’s hosting of the 2024 Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-2024), which underscored the country’s commitment to international regulatory cooperation and strengthened its role in connecting global policy discussions with national regulatory priorities.

“Uganda is ready to contribute even more towards our shared digital future,” the Minister told delegates, urging member states to support the country’s re-election to the ITU Council.

She pledged that Uganda would build on its experience and record of engagement to champion inclusive digital transformation through stronger multilateral partnerships and consensus-driven decision-making.

On the sidelines of the conference, Uganda’s delegation, also comprising the Uganda Communications Commission Executive Director, Hon. Nyombi Thembo, as well as UCC and Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff, has been holding bilateral meetings with other member states to share experiences and solicit support for the ITU Council re-election bid.

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