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Deputy speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has called for the urgent drafting and passing of relevant regulations around data usage and artificial intelligence (AI) and says this will ensure that Uganda catches up with the progress of technological development.

In an effort to guarantee that Uganda keeps up with technological advancements, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has asked for the immediate draughting and approval of pertinent laws pertaining to data usage and artificial intelligence (AI).

“Several of our young people in the private sector have run ahead and are already benefitting from AI even in the absence of enabling laws. As government, we need to work faster to own and manage local data and empower Ugandans to use it to make data-driven decisions,” he says.

The Deputy Speaker made the call on Thursday (November 14, 2024) while opening the first-ever Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Data Governance Symposium.

Organised by Task Managers Ltd and Makerere University Business School Economic Forum at Sheraton Kampala Hotel, the symposium, themed: The Role of Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence in Social-Economic Transformation, was an exclusive event, bringing together over 150 CEOs and top executives from diverse sectors including media, banking, fintech, government agencies and private sector.

Welcoming guests to the symposium, convener Arthur Arinaitwe, the CEO of Task Managers Ltd, said the event has been in the offing since 2018, to bring together industry experts to discuss data usage and management and enable businesses to fasten and more accurate decisions to offer better solutions sustainably to their customers.

While giving a keynote, Dr Fred Muhumuza, a senior economist and development policy expert, made a case for government, businesses and individuals to have access to reliable big data to make informed decisions.

“This will help ensure we no longer have disappointing news headlines like the huge number of students who have dropped out of school between P7 and S4. Instead, the big data can be reviewed regularly and real-time solutions devised to deal with emerging issues,” he said.

He also highlighted to importance and urgency of data integration and interrogation, especially in the policy environment to enable Social-Economic Transformation in Uganda.

Other key speakers at the symposium were Collin Babirukamu, the director e-Governance services at NITA-U; Mercy Kainobwisho, the registrar general, URBS; Jacqueline K. Opondo, the board chairperson at Opportunity Bank Uganda; Dr James Magara, the founder of Jubilee Dental Clinic; Michael Niyitegeka, the country manager, ICDL Africa and executive director of Refactory Limited; and Joan Mugenzi, the team leader at Imagine Me Africa.

They addressed key issues including the role of data analytics and AI in informing strategic decision making, among others.