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  HomeCollaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)  /  Uganda
24Mar

Advancing Advocacy and Awareness on Digital Rights for Businesses in Uganda

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Nadhifah Muhammad and Tendo Racheal |

Imagine running a business in today’s fast-paced digital world, where almost everything from customer data, marketing to financial transactions happening online. Now, imagine having little or no knowledge on how to protect that data, relevant laws and regulations or worse, unknowingly violating digital rights. That is the reality for many businesses in Uganda today. 

Data protection, data privacy, cybersecurity, and surveillance are not just techy buzzwords, they’re essential to building a safe and inclusive digital economy. Yet, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which account for 90% of Uganda’s private sector, either do not fully understand responsible digital practices or lack the tools to do so.

That’s where the Advancing Respect for Human Rights by Businesses in Uganda (ARBHR) project comes in. With support from Enabel and the European Union, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is co-implementing this project which seeks to reduce human rights abuses connected to business activities in Uganda, particularly those impacting women and children. 

Among others, CIPESA is working to raise awareness on digital rights in the business context. As businesses increasingly rely on digital technologies to operate and innovate, their role in upholding digital rights becomes paramount. Yet many Ugandan businesses, particularly SMEs, lack a comprehensive understanding of digital rights principles and their obligations in upholding them. 

Early this year, CIPESA published a call for applications to the Civil Society (CSO) Fund for entities interested in championing digital rights in the business sector. Six CSOs were selected under the competitive process and, together with four innovation hubs, SME, employer and employee associations, will be supported to implement awareness-raising activities. These include Evidence and Methods Lab, Boundless Minds, Wakiso District Human Rights Committee, Media Focus on Africa Uganda, Girls for Climate Action, Recreation for Development and Peace Uganda, Private Sector Foundation Uganda, Federation of Uganda Employers and The Innovation Village.

To ensure that the partners effectively undertake their interventions, CIPESA convened a three-day bootcamp on March 4–8, 2025 aimed at enhancing their knowledge and skills in implementing awareness raising and advocacy campaigns as part of advancing the business and human rights agenda. The bootcamp brought together 35 participants. 

Key topics of discussion included Trends in Business and Digital Rights in Uganda, such as Privacy and Data Protection, Cybersecurity, Inclusion and Labour Rights; Impact Communications and Storytelling for Awareness and Advocacy; as well as Digital Content Creation.

The discussions were framed under the Uganda National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAPBHR), which seeks to protect human rights, enhance corporate digital responsibility to respect human rights, and ensure access to remedy for victims of human rights violations and abuses resulting from non-compliance by business entities in the country.

The project is very timely to create more awareness on business and human rights issues especially in regards to labour rights, effective redress mechanisms for BHR [Business and Human Rights] violations and engendering of digital rights. –  Training Participant

Uganda’s ARBHR aligns with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which outline the corporate responsibility to respect, protect, and remedy human rights abuses in business operations. By equipping businesses with the knowledge and tools to integrate digital rights into their policies and practices, the ARBHR project is contributing to a global movement that ensures businesses operate ethically, respect fundamental freedoms, and uphold human dignity in the digital space. 

For Uganda’s business sector to thrive in a digitally connected world, businesses must align with these principles, creating a culture where human rights are not an afterthought but a core business responsibility. 

Therefore, as partners roll out their awareness raising action plans over the next eight months, it is envisaged that over 200,000 individuals will be reached in the regions of Albertine, Busoga and Kampala Metropolitan. Through radio talk shows, skits, social media campaigns, community meetings, capacity building trainings, visualised Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) products, and digital clinics, these stakeholders will have enhanced appreciation of digital rights protection to foster a more informed and active community of advocates for rights-respecting practices among businesses in Uganda. 

So, if you’re a business owner, a CSO representative, or just someone passionate about digital rights, this is your chance to be part of something bigger. Join the conversation, and let’s build a digital future we can all trust.

AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ECO-SYSTEM FOR UGANDA
14Feb

Policy Alternatives for an Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem in Uganda

Author CIPESA Posted on

CIPESA |

Economic projections show that by 2030, artificial intelligence (AI) will add USD 15.7 trillion to the global economy. Of this, USD 1.2 trillion will be generated in Africa and could boost the continent’s Gross Domestic Product by 5.6%. Despite AI’s transformative potential, there are concerns about the risks it poses to individuals’ rights and freedoms. There is therefore a need to foster a trusted and ethical AI ecosystem that elicits peoples’ confidence while guaranteeing an enabling atmosphere for innovation, to best harness AI for the greater public good for all. 

The discussion on AI in Uganda is still in early stages. Nonetheless, the country needs to develop a comprehensive and AI-specific legal and institutional governance framework to provide for regulatory oversight over AI and the diverse actors in the AI ecosystem. Currently, various pieces of legislation, which majorly focus on general-purpose technologies, constitute the legal framework relevant to AI. However, these laws do not provide sufficient regulatory cover to AI, its associated benefits and mitigation of risks to human security, rights and freedoms. 

In a new policy brief, the Collaboration on ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) reviews the AI policymaking journeys of various countries, such as Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, Luxembourg, France and Germany, and proposes 11 actions Uganda could take to fulfil its aspiration to effectively regulate and harness AI.

The existing key policy frameworks include the Uganda Vision 2040, which emphasises the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation (STEI) as critical drivers of economic growth and social transformation; and the National Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Strategy that aims to accelerate Uganda’s development into an innovative, productive and competitive society using 4IR technologies, with  emphasis on  using AI in the public sector to improve financial management and tax revenue collection. Meanwhile, the third National Development Plan (NDP III) identifies the promotion of digital transformation and the adoption of 4IR technologies, including AI, as critical components for achieving Uganda’s vision of becoming a middle-income country. 

The legal frameworks that impact AI-related oversight include the Constitution that lays out crucial benchmarks for the regulation of AI. It provides for the role of the state in stimulating agricultural, industrial, technological and scientific development by adopting appropriate policies and enacting enabling legislation. The constitution also provides for the right to privacy, freedom from discrimination, and the right to equality. 

Other key laws include the Data Protection and Privacy Act of 2019 which, even if it was not drafted with AI in mind, is directly relevant to the regulation of AI technologies through the lens of data protection. The Computer Misuse Act of 2011 provides a framework that addresses unlawful use of computers and electronic systems. Relevant to the governance of AI is section 12, which criminalises unauthorised access to a computer or electronic system.  

The National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (NITA-U) Act offers a foundation for improving infrastructure to support AI regulation efforts, and  established NITA-U, a body responsible for regulating, coordinating, and promoting information technology in the country. 

Overall, the current policy and legal framework, however fragmented, provides a starting point for enacting comprehensive, AI-specific legislation.

The growing adoption of AI brings a host of opportunities that positively impact society, including improved productivity and efficiency for individuals, the health sector, civil society organisations, the media, financial institutions, manufacturing industries, supplier chains, agriculture, climate and weather research and academia. AI is also being used by public agencies such as Uganda Revenue Authority to support more effective revenue collection. Uganda’s telecommunications operators are also utilising AI, for example to send targeted messages that encourage users to subscribe to loan offers such as Airtel Wewole and MTN MoKash..

Prospects for AI Regulation in Uganda

As Uganda’s journey of AI adoption and usage gains traction, the following guiding actions that underlie progressive AI frameworks across various countries could help quicken and offer direction to Uganda’s AI aspirations.

  1. Establishment of an AI governance institutional framework to guide the national adoption and usage of AI.
  2. Development and implementation of a “living” framework of best practices on AI that operates across the diverse sectors affected by AI. Singapore provides a best practice in this regard where, as a national agenda, there is consistent codification of best practices that inform the safe evolution of AI in the different spheres. The best practices framework allows for complementing of the regulatory framework. By adopting this best practice framework, Uganda would keep up with the evolution of AI without necessarily undertaking statutory amendments especially in the AI/technology world where there are rapid changes. 
  3. Implementation of checks and balances through the creation of specific policies, regulations, guidelines, and laws to manage AI effectively and address the existing significant gaps in its regulation and oversight. To address this, key stakeholders – including the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, the Uganda Communications Commission, NITA-U, and the Personal Data Protection Office – must collaborate to develop comprehensive and tailored regulations. This effort should focus on understanding AI’s specific dynamics, impacts, and challenges within the Ugandan context and not wholesomely adopting or replicating legislation from other jurisdictions, given the divergences in context at continental, regional and national levels.
  4. Tap into the African AI Frameworks for Inspiration. Drawing on regional and international frameworks, such as the African Union’s AI Policy and the European Union’s AI Act, will offer key strategic guidelines and intervention measures to shape a robust and effective AI legislation in Uganda. 
  5. Establish a National Research and Innovative Fund on AI to effectively tap into and harvest the dividends that come with AI. This kind of funding requiring direct government intervention is informed by the reality that surrounds the high levels of uncertainty of outcomes in tech  innovation. 
  6. Develop and implement a National Strategy for AI to enhance policy coordination and coherence and offer direction and guidance. This would encompass the national vision for AI in Uganda’s social and economic development, and guide all other initiatives on progressive AI regulation.
  7. Develop and implement a National Citizenry Awareness and Public Education Programme on AI to better prepare citizens to engage with AI responsibly, ensure inclusion and advocate for ethical practices.
  8. Apply human rights protective AI to influence the designing of AI systems with fairness, transparency, and accountability, and employ diverse and representative datasets to mitigate biases related to ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status.
  9. Establish  a mechanism that can enforce ethical use of AI by the various stakeholders, including through emphasising transparency and accountability in AI deployment.
  1. Establish cyber security protocols to counter inherent vulnerability to cyber-attacks and other attendant digital security risks that come with AI.  
  2. Create a conducive atmosphere for citizenry platforms for AI engagements. These platforms can be conduits for encouraging best practices, and latest research information among other emerging issues on AI that could benefit the country. An AI ecosystem should thus favour and strategically support such inter-agency, inter-sector and public-private collaboration and formal linkages to also facilitate AI technology transfer from explorations, studies and innovation to actual application.

Read the full brief here.

Uganda Data Strategy
22Nov

Uganda Set to Harness Data as A Critical Resource for Socio-Economic Development

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Edrine Wanyama |

On November 19, 2024, Uganda’s Ministry of Information, Communication Technology, and National Guidance (MoICT&NG) validated a draft data strategy, marking a significant milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey. This process follows a 2022 review that identified critical weaknesses in Uganda’s data-sharing ecosystem, including limited data sharing, fragmentation, silos, lack of common standards, and low trust in the system.

The strategy is a cornerstone of the Uganda Digital Transformation Road Map, which drives the Digital Uganda Vision and the country’s broader Digital Revolution agenda. Its goal is to foster a data-driven environment that stimulates innovation, economic growth, and social development. The strategy focuses on three main pillars: data governance, data infrastructure, and strategic data utilisation for efficient and effective use of data.

A robust institutional framework is central to the strategy, comprising a National Data Steering Committee, a National Data Office, and links to data personnel within various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). Additionally, the strategy emphasises the importance of a comprehensive legal and policy framework aligned with national, regional, and international standards.

Uganda’s data protection framework is still in its early stages, with enabling legislation passed in 2019 and implementing regulations adopted in 2021. However, the framework has faced criticism for lacking clear oversight mechanisms and prioritising government access to individuals’ data—justified under national security and lawful purposes—over the protection of data and privacy rights.

The adoption of this data strategy has the potential to introduce stronger oversight and policy guidance, effective stakeholder engagement, and improved monitoring and evaluation in data management processes. This would pave the way for a robust, data-driven economy in Uganda.

Dr. Wairagala Wakabi, Executive Director of CIPESA stated, “Uganda’s Data Protection Strategy coincides with the recent African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Resolution on Promoting and Harnessing Data Access as a Tool for Advancing Human Rights and Sustainable Development in the Digital Age (ACHPR/Res.620 (LXXXI) 2024). If rightly applied and implemented within the existing data governance frameworks at the African Union level, its aims, goals, and objectives cannot be defeated.”

As Africa slowly moves towards a harmonised data regime, Uganda’s strategy represents a key step toward achieving the African Union’s goals. It has the potential to enhance governance, public service delivery, and economic growth while contributing to the continent’s broader socio-economic transformation within the digital economy.

11Nov

Fostering Responsible Business Conduct in Uganda’s Digital Age

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Patricia Ainembabazi |

The sixth edition of the Business and Human Rights Symposium in Uganda marked an essential step in Uganda’s journey to foster responsible and rights-respecting business conduct. Hosted on November 4-5, 2024, the symposium brought together over 200 participants from government, the private sector, academia, and civil society. It offered a platform to reflect on Uganda’s advancements in implementing its National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and to consider newer frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

As part of the two-day proceedings, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) hosted a panel discussion on the interplay between digital innovation and the protection of human rights, highlighting both successes and challenges in Uganda’s tech ecosystem. The panel discussed the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and how they align with the technology sector.

Source: Business for Social Responsibility  

Highlighting Uganda’s growing technology sector, including increased mobile and internet penetration as well as digitalisation of private and public services, the session also spotlighted pressing concerns, such as internet disruptions, labour rights violations, gender discrimination, and data protection and privacy, which continue to challenge human rights protections in the country’s growing digital economy.

Joel Basoga, Head of Technology Practice at H&G Advocates, stated that ​​it was “essential” for businesses in Uganda to embed respect for human rights as a core performance indicator guided by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. He added that for a tech-driven business landscape, legal frameworks surrounding digital rights need to be prioritised.

According to Patricia Ainembabazi, a Project Officer at CIPESA, there was limited understanding of business and human rights in the technology sector. Platforms such as the symposium were crucial in building a thematic understanding of digital rights. 

In 2021, Uganda became the first African country to finalise a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAPBHR), based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The plan strengthens the government’s duty to protect human rights, enhances the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, and ensures access to remedies for victims of human rights violations and abuses resulting from non-compliance by business entities.

In October 2024, CIPESA joined the first meeting of the Multi-Sectoral Technical Committee on Business and Human Rights, which supports the Uganda labour ministry’s role of coordinating the National Action Plan and provides technical guidance on all business and human rights interventions. At that meeting, CIPESA made the case for mainstreaming digital rights in the implementation of the action plan and also urged stakeholders to leverage innovative technologies to improve the outcomes of the action plan.

Similar to other countries in Africa, Uganda’s plan does not provide for digital rights protection, yet digital technologies have become central not only to how many businesses operate, but also to how individuals learn, work, socialise, and participate in community affairs. This increased digitalisation has had an impact on the ability of businesses to respect their human rights obligations.

Objectives of Uganda’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
1. To strengthen institutional capacity, operations and coordination efforts of state and non-state actors for the protection and promotion of human rights in businesses;  
2. To promote human rights compliance and accountability by business actors;  
3. To promote social inclusion and rights of the vulnerable and marginalised individuals and groups in business operations;  
4. To promote meaningful and effective participation and respect for consent by relevant stakeholders in business operations; and  
5. To enhance access to remedy to victims of business-related human rights abuses and violations in business operations.

Speakers urged for increased cross-sector collaboration among stakeholders to align national frameworks more closely with the UN Guiding Principles. Opportunities for intervention include a push for robust data protection and privacy protections by the private sector; affordability of the internet and related technologies to ensure access to digital spaces; and raising awareness on digital rights roles and responsibilities for consumers and business owners. The symposium called upon stakeholders such as telecommunication companies, Internet Service Providers (ISP), financial institutions, innovators, and online platform operators to harmonise business goals with digital rights principles.

As part of the implementation of the NAPBHR, CIPESA is part of the newly launched Advancing Respect for Human Rights by Businesses in Uganda project led by Enabel and Uganda’s Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development. The project is part of the European Union’s support towards the implementation of Uganda’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and focuses on three thematic areas: labour rights in the agricultural sector, natural resource governance and land, and digital rights and internet governance. The project will work with six civil society organisations to drive advocacy, dialogue, and actions that strengthen Uganda’s Business and Human Rights agenda. Additionally, 50 businesses will receive support to implement human rights due diligence aligned with national and international standards.

17Oct

Job Opportunity: Programme Officer

Author CIPESA Posted on

Call for Applications |

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is seeking a Programme Officer to Support the implementation of activities that advance respect for human rights by businesses in Uganda. 

Job Title: Programme Officer 

Location: Kampala, Uganda 

Duration: Two (2) Years

Reports to: Programme Manager

Deadline: October 31, 2024

About CIPESA

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) works to defend and expand the digital civic space to enable the protection and promotion of human rights and to enhance innovation and sustainable development. With a focus on disparate actors, including the private sector, civil society, media, policymakers, and multinational institutions, our work aims to engender a free, open, and secure internet that advances rights, livelihoods, and democratic governance. CIPESA’s work responds to a shortage of information, research, resources, and actors consistently working at the nexus of technology, human rights, and society. Indeed, CIPESA’s establishment in 2004 was in response to the findings of the Louder Voices Report for DFiD, which cited the lack of easy, affordable, and timely access to information about ICT-related issues and processes as key barriers to effective and inclusive ICT policy-making in Africa. 

Job Summary 

The Programme Officer will be responsible for planning, implementing, and reporting all project activities related to business and digital rights. Their duties will include organising and participating in training and mentoring partners, supervising research activities, and engaging with and maintaining relationships with various project stakeholders. 

Key areas of accountability include:
Partnership Building 
  • Identify project partners and develop sustained relationships with various stakeholders in the human rights, digital civic space and the private sector.
  • Build relationships with government actors, particularly those who work on human rights, labour, and digital policy. 
  • Support the capacity building of various stakeholders in advocacy for respect of digital rights by businesses.
  • Participate in events by organisational and project partners. 
Policy Engagement
  • Lead in the convening of digital rights and business policy dialogues. 
  • Coordinate CIPESA research in the area of business and digital rights. 
  • Support policy engagements with District Local Governments, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Training and Mentorship
  • Participate in the development of digital rights advocacy toolkits for businesses.
  • Participate in training civil society organisations and SMEs in advocacy for digital rights protection in the business context.
  • Mentor civil society, small business enterprise owners, and associations in implementing digital rights awareness campaigns.
  • Support the development and dissemination of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials.
Project Management and Reporting
  • Ensure that project outcomes are delivered on time, on budget and according to the quality of standards of CIPESA and funding partners.
  • Prepare project reports and briefs and ensure timely submission to the CIPESA Management and funding partners.
  • Monitor the progress of project milestones and activities against the scheduled work plans and objectives.
  • Support the wide dissemination and visibility of project achievements among partners and other stakeholders. 
Qualification and Experience 
  • An undergraduate degree in human rights, law, social or development studies, governance, or project planning and management. A Post-Graduate/ Masters qualification will be an advantage.
  • Four or more years of experience in human rights, governance or humanitarian programming with a reputable institution, preferably in the civil society/ non-government sector. 
  • An understanding of digital rights and human rights in the business context.
  • Effective communication, excellent written and presentation skills, and attention to detail.
  • Demonstrable experience in project management and implementation. 
  • Experience in effective teamwork, as well as interpersonal and liaison skills.
  • Experience in coalition building, advocacy and working with civil society actors to deliver effective policy change.
  • Training and mentoring experience, particularly for adults.
  • Donor funds management and reporting experience.
  • Ability to conduct research and write policy reports and briefs is desirable.
Standards of Professional Conduct:

CIPESA staff and partners must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the Code of Conduct, and the Safeguarding against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEAH) Policy. In accordance with these, CIPESA operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, and several others.

How to Apply:

Applications, including a cover letter outlining how you fit the job requirements, your areas of expertise, and salary expectations, a CV, samples of your work, and the names and contacts of two referees, should be submitted in one PDF file to recruitment@cipesa.org with Application for Programme Officer in the email subject line.

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