The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has distributed 5,195 digital tablets to public universities and cultural institutions across the country, in a move aimed at deepening digital integration in research and community-based data collection. The devices, originally used during the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, are now being repurposed to support evidence-based decision-making and capacity building in data production, especially among young Ugandans.
Recipient academic institutions include Makerere University, Kyambogo University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Gulu University, Lira University, Soroti University, Makerere University Business School (MUBS), and the National Council for Higher Education. Cultural beneficiaries include the Kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro, Busoga, and Rwenzururu.
While handing over the devices, UBOS Executive Director Dr. Chris Mukiza said the move represents a long-term investment in Uganda’s statistical future. “UBOS is mandated to coordinate the National Statistical System. These tablets will help institutions move from merely consuming data to actively producing and analyzing it,” said Mukiza. “We are cultivating a national culture of evidence-based thinking, and this is only possible if both academia and cultural institutions are empowered with the right tools.”
Dr. Mukiza emphasized that real-time, localized data is essential to addressing Uganda’s most pressing development challenges, including unemployment, education disparities, agricultural inefficiencies, and public health concerns. Makerere University received the largest university allocation with 700 tablets, followed by Kyambogo University, MUBS, and Mbarara University each receiving 350 tablets. Gulu and Lira universities each received 200, while Soroti University got 150, and the National Council for Higher Education received 75 devices.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Buganda received the largest overall allocation with 1,000 tablets, followed by Bunyoro with 550, Busoga with 500, and Rwenzururu with 120. UBOS board member and public health statistician Allen Kabagenyi said the redistribution will significantly enhance research quality in academic spaces. “In the academic world, data is the bedrock of credible research and informed teaching,” said Kabagenyi. “By equipping universities with these tools, we are investing directly in the minds that will shape Uganda’s future.”
She further noted that the initiative is timely for a country with a median age under 17, where limited access to digital tools still hampers many students and aspiring researchers. The devices are preloaded with statistical and census software, and universities are expected to use them in graduate student research, field surveys, and community outreach projects. Some institutions have already outlined plans to incorporate the devices into teaching and fieldwork modules.
UBOS believes that cultural institutions—often central to community-based development—can now harness the power of data for more effective delivery of services in areas such as education, youth empowerment, and healthcare. Dr. Mukiza added that bringing cultural leaders into the national data ecosystem reaffirms their role as key players in development planning and supports UBOS’ broader goal of decentralizing data production under the National Statistical System.
“We are not just giving out tablets. We are handing over the future to thinkers, researchers, planners, and communities. The next breakthrough policy, innovation, or solution may well begin with a student or a kingdom statistician using one of these devices,” Kabagenyi concluded.
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