Uganda’s ambition to become a leader in Africa’s artificial intelligence (AI) space took center stage this week at the Uganda DeepTech Summit, one of the key events of National Science Week 2026. The gathering brought together policymakers, researchers, innovators, and global tech leaders, all delivering a clear warning: Uganda must quickly align its education system with the fast-changing demands of an AI-driven economy.
Held under the theme “Positioning Uganda as a Regional Gateway for Applied AI Innovation,” the summit came at a critical time. While Uganda has made progress in areas like mobile technology, financial inclusion, and e-governance, experts cautioned that the country could fall behind if it does not move beyond basic digital systems to more advanced, AI-powered solutions.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Monica Musenero Masanza highlighted both the progress made and the challenges still holding the country back.
“For too long, our systems have produced knowledge without translating it into economic value. The gap between what we teach and what the market needs is what we have called the ‘Black Box’. We must now close that gap by turning science into products, industries, and jobs,” she said.
Her remarks are supported by findings from Uganda’s latest State of Science, Technology and Innovation report. The report shows that industrialisation linked to science and innovation stands at just 10.6%, while commercialisation is only 5.5%. Access to funding for innovation is also low at 16.8%, pointing to a major disconnect between academic work and practical use.
A major focus of the summit was Uganda’s education system, which many participants said has not kept up with modern technological needs. Although curricula exist, they are often too theoretical and do not prepare students for real-world industry demands.
The urgency is even clearer in the global context. Africa contributes only about 1% of the world’s AI computing power and talent, leaving it heavily dependent on foreign technologies. For Uganda, this creates risks, as imported AI systems often fail to reflect local realities such as language diversity, infrastructure gaps, and economic conditions.
Participants stressed that Uganda must invest in building its own AI solutions designed for local needs, especially in key sectors like agriculture and healthcare.
“As the Tech summit convenes experts from the private sector, government and academia from all over the world, we must utilize these insights on how different markets are utilising AI in different sectors through data center infrastructure development, application development, upskilling and more and apply this acquired knowledge within the STI ecosystem to build AI enabling infrastructure in different sectors, noted David Gonahasa, from the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretariat.
Examples shared included AI-powered diagnostic tools that can work on low-cost mobile devices without internet, as well as farming technologies that help predict weather changes and detect crop diseases in real time.
“An AI tool built for Silicon Valley will not necessarily work for a farmer in Mbale or a health worker in Karamoja,” one panelist noted. “We must build for our realities.”
However, experts emphasized that technology alone is not enough. Uganda must also rethink how it trains its workforce. Suggestions from the summit included closer collaboration between universities and private companies, creating innovation labs for graduates, and changing assessment methods to focus more on creativity and problem-solving rather than memorisation.
There were also calls to train teachers in AI. Many educators are still reluctant to use AI tools, even as students adopt them quickly. Experts warned that this gap could worsen if not addressed.
“AI is already shaping how students learn, whether we like it or not,” said one education specialist. “The question is whether teachers will lead that process or be left behind by it.”
Beyond education, the summit pointed out broader challenges slowing down Uganda’s AI progress. These include limited high-performance computing infrastructure, scattered data systems, and low investment in research. Currently, Uganda spends just 0.17% of its GDP on science and innovation, far below the 2.5% target set in Vision 2040.
Despite these hurdles, there are positive signs. Government-led innovation programs have, over the past five years, created assets worth about USD 1.52 billion—more than four times the initial investment—and generated over 150,000 jobs.
Still, stakeholders agreed that future progress will depend on how well Uganda aligns its education system, policies, and industry with the realities of an AI-driven world.
“The runway has been built,” Minister Musenero said in closing. “Now it is time for takeoff.”
For Uganda, that “takeoff” will depend not just on adopting new technologies, but on building the skills and homegrown solutions needed to compete globally on its own terms.
