Event report
French Week 2025 Day 2: A Bold Look into Uganda’s AI Future & Digitization
French Week 2025 Day 2 sparked powerful dialogue on AI and digitisation, bringing together Uganda’s brightest minds to shape a smarter future.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept confined to tech labs or Silicon Valley boardrooms. In Uganda, it is speaking Swahili, understanding Luganda, guiding small businesses, and quietly reshaping how people bank, learn, and communicate.
That was the resounding message from Wednesday's AI & Digitisation Business Forum, a marquee event of French Week 2025, where some of the country’s brightest minds gathered to debate the role of AI in Uganda’s future. Held at the Uganda Investment Authority Auditorium, the forum drew a full and engaged audience — an unusual mix of ministers, coders, diplomats, and startup founders.
The Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission, George William Nyombi Thembo, reminded the audience that AI is not only here to stay — it’s already transforming the way Ugandans work. While some worry it may replace jobs, the focus, he argued, should be on adapting to and shaping its future impact.
The event was a joint effort by the French Chamber of Commerce in Uganda (FCCU) and the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA). It turned into a candid—and at times urgent—discussion on how a nation like Uganda, diverse, youthful, and digitally ambitious, can leapfrog with AI rather than be left behind by it.
“At Ecobank, digital transformation is not just a strategy — it’s our foundation. From mobile banking to AI-powered fraud detection, we’re building technology that reaches more people, in more places, more securely than ever before.”
— Muliisa Grace, Managing Director, Ecobank Uganda
From MTN Uganda’s “Zigi” chatbot, which now fields thousands of customer queries daily, to Audersity’s multilingual voice tools, the forum spotlighted homegrown innovations tackling real-world problems—from education to banking, public health to e-commerce.
But alongside the optimism came warnings.
Panellists called for clear regulation, ethical guardrails, and deeper investment in local AI talent. They stressed the need for inclusive datasets and policy frameworks that recognise AI not as a distant threat, but as a present-day tool—one that must be built responsibly to serve all Ugandans.
“The future isn’t automatic. It takes real effort, innovation, and a mindset shift to unlock the full potential of AI and digital transformation.”
— Albert Gitta, CIO, MTN MoMo Group
The French Chamber of Commerce described the forum as “a defining conversation,” and thanked its partners and sponsors—especially Ecobank Uganda, MTN Uganda, and UIA—for helping elevate the dialogue beyond a panel session into what felt like a national town hall on AI.
The day concluded with a cocktail reception for sponsors and select guests at the French Embassy residence.
If Day 2 of French Week 2025 proved anything, it’s this: in Uganda, the AI revolution isn’t coming — it’s already here. And it’s speaking with a Ugandan accent.
You can watch the highlights of the event here.
