MTN Uganda Calls for Greater Support to Scale Home-Grown Innovations
The discussion took center stage during the Refactory Academy Digital Solutions Expo 2026 held at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, where innovators, policymakers, industry leaders, and technology stakeholders gathered to explore how locally developed digital solutions can create impact both within Uganda and beyond its borders.
MTN Uganda has called for stronger collaboration and increased adoption of home-grown innovations, arguing that the biggest barrier to innovation in Uganda is not a lack of talent but the inability to scale promising solutions. Although the country continues to produce exceptional developers, entrepreneurs, and digital solutions, many innovations fail to move beyond the pilot stage due to limited infrastructure, investment, partnerships, and market adoption.
The discussion took center stage during the Refactory Academy Digital Solutions Expo 2026 held at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, where innovators, policymakers, industry leaders, and technology stakeholders gathered to explore how locally developed digital solutions can create impact both within Uganda and beyond its borders.
Speaking during the event, Jemima Kariuki-Njuguna, Chief Product Officer at MoMo from MTN Uganda, emphasized that the country has already demonstrated its ability to innovate and that the focus should now shift to scaling these innovations. She noted that the key question is no longer whether Uganda can innovate, but whether the country can successfully scale its innovations to achieve broader impact.
She also called on industry players to embrace collaboration rather than competition, stressing that sustainable innovation requires a strong ecosystem involving businesses, startups, investors, government institutions, academia, and technology developers.
MTN Uganda reaffirmed its commitment to supporting digital transformation through investments in resilient digital infrastructure, expanded connectivity, and by opening MoMo platforms to developers. The company said these efforts are aimed at creating an enabling environment where local innovation can thrive and scale.
According to MTN Uganda, the future of the country’s digital economy will be built through partnerships and collective action, with innovators, startups, government agencies, investors, academia, and industry working together to unlock opportunities and drive inclusive growth.
