By: Walter Wafula


The Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Dr Ham-Mukasa Mulira told journalists last week that city would host the event, March 4-6, at the Kampala Serena Hotel.

He said that the forum would provide a platform to discuss and share experiences on how to achieve economic and social change through the expansion and of ICT across Africa and the adoption of electronic technology. “It is evident that providing a connected infrastructure across Ministries, departments, agencies and citizens is of the utmost importance to drive national advancements,” Mulira noted.

The theme for this year's event is Utilising ICT for More Efficient, Effective and Inclusive Governance and international as well as local speakers will converge to share e-Governance experiences, challenges and solutions.

Speakers are expected to include Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, CEO of CTO, Dr Harold Wesso, Deputy Director-General: ICT Policy Development Department of Communications South Africa, Vikas Nath, Founder Digital Governance.org and Dr Ham Mulira, Minister ICT Uganda among others.

The forum is an annual event held by the CTO to offer quality programs for capacity development, knowledge sharing and infrastructure services, expand and diversify partnership between governments, businesses and other organizations to reduce global poverty and fulfil the global development agenda for ICT.

“Uganda has much to benefit and learn in relation to the already developed National Data Transmission Backbone Infrastructure (NBI) Project, intended to lay fibre-optic cabling linking districts across the country,” said Mulira.

He added that Phase 1 of the $106 million data cable has been completed and is on test in government ministries, State House and the Parliament, before it can be rolled out to the private sector. It is expected that once it is implemented around the country, the backbone will help government and the private sector reduce operation costs by wide margins and increase efficiency and speed at work and in information transfer.

The benefits of the Forum, Mulira added, are likely to open up Uganda's knowledge, skills, expertise and competencies to foster the development of the nation, as had happened in other countries.

“It is we as Ugandans to show the delegates coming from other countries that we have the spirit to embrace and transform our country by adopting ICT…,” he added.

[11 Feb 2008 09:48]

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