THE COMMUNICATIONS BLOG

As the curtain falls on the third edition of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Africa 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda, one key takeaway stands out: digital transformation across Africa is gaining strong momentum, though more effort is needed to accelerate it further.

The three-day event, held at the Kigali Convention Centre, brought together tech giants, industry leaders, regulators, and policymakers to explore how connectivity and digital innovation are driving Africa’s transformation.

The Congress was officially opened on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, by President Paul Kagame, who called on governments, the private sector, and development partners to harmonize policies and create an enabling environment for innovation.

Among the global leaders in attendance were ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ministers, regulators, and telecom executives. Uganda was represented by Hon. Godfrey Kabbyanga, Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance; Hon. Nyombi Thembo, Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC); and top executives from major telecom operators, among others.

On Day 2, the UCC Executive Director joined a panel discussion on “Driving Digital Transformation through Fiscal Policy Reforms.” He highlighted the delicate balance required between government revenue generation initiatives and promoting digital inclusion through affordable handsets.

“We need to put ourselves in the shoes of the Minister of Finance, whose task is to collect taxes,” he said, noting that the ICT sector is a target for taxation due to its impressive growth trajectory. The ED shared Uganda’s approach of proposing reduced taxes on entry-level smartphones to boost access, and considering higher taxes on high-end devices, whose affordability is less price sensitive.

On the sidelines of the Congress, Nyombi Thembo held bilateral meetings with MTN Group and Ericsson officials to explore collaboration in advancing Uganda’s Ten-Fold Development Agenda through investment in ICT infrastructure and services.

Day 2 also featured a presentation by Aloysius Muheki, UCC’s Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) coordinator, who showcased Uganda’s newly launched SIMU Klear system – a groundbreaking initiative to combat counterfeit devices and phone theft, enhancing the safety and integrity of Uganda’s mobile ecosystem.

On Day 3, Minister Kabbyanga participated in a panel on “Synergizing Energy and Digital Infrastructure Investment.” He underscored the need for digital access and energy infrastructure to advance together, calling for collaborative approaches to bridge both gaps and accelerate Africa’s digital growth.