Over 200 government officers get strategic communications and digital skills

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, in partnership with MultiChoice Africa Holdings represented by MultiChoice Uganda, the leading provider of premium pay-TV entertainment in Uganda, has completed a comprehensive strategic communications and digital skills training programme for government communications officers.

The graduation ceremony, officiated by the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Aminah Zawedde, was held at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa.

The week-long capacity-building initiative was held in 2 cohorts in the past week and is part of the broader Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Ministry and MultiChoice Africa Holdings to promote digital literacy, responsible communication, and local capacity building in Uganda.

The training covered essential areas such as issues and crisis management, localization of government communications, visual media, and storytelling. The training, paired with real-life case studies and group exercises, equipped the participants with the necessary tools for public communications, especially in a rapidly evolving digital media environment.

Dr. Aminah Zawedde highlighted the importance of collaboration between the private and public sectors for national growth. She stated that, “Through this training, we have laid a strong foundation for enhanced citizen engagement and national development. We are proud to be tapping into MultiChoice Uganda’s extensive expertise in broadcasting and digital content development.”

Speaking at the graduation, Hassan Saleh, Managing Director, MultiChoice Uganda, said, “At MultiChoice Uganda, we believe that great storytelling is essential to progress. We are proud to be executing activities we set out to achieve with the MOU signed with the Ministry last year. We are also honoured to support the Ministry in enhancing the voice of government and building a stronger connection with the public.”

Speaking on behalf of the participants, Hellen Kawesa, Assistant Director Communications and Public Relations at Parliament of Uganda, commented, “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the MoICT & NG and MultiChoice for the invaluable training, where we learned the critical importance of crisis communication, localized communication, and storytelling, among others. We recognized the potential of using our phones to take pictures that communicate well.”

While addressing the media, Rinaldi Jamugisa, PR and Communications Manager at MultiChoice Uganda expressed his gratitude to the Ministry for their partnership and collaboration in advancing storytelling, skills development, and strengthening national institutions through effective communications training.