KABALE, Uganda – MTN Uganda’s charitable arm and the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance commissioned a new regional innovation hub at Kabale University on Thursday, part of a 4 billion shilling initiative to bolster digital literacy and youth entrepreneurship.
The facility, dubbed the MTN Spark Hub, is the first of four regional centers planned under the MTN ACE program. The project aims to address youth unemployment in a country where the 2024 census found a 16.1% jobless rate among people under 30.
Equipped with high-speed connectivity, workstations and collaborative spaces, the hub is designed to move away from traditional classroom settings to foster unconventional thinking.
Dr. Amina Zawedde, permanent secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, said the facility helps transition the government’s Digital Transformation Roadmap from policy to physical infrastructure.
“The Kabale Spark Hub is exactly what the roadmap calls for — a facility that gives young Ugandans the tools, the connectivity and the environment to become creators and innovators rather than job seekers,” Zawedde said.
The investment includes the refurbishment of the National ICT Innovation Hub in Kampala and the creation of additional hubs at Busitema, Gulu and Soroti universities. Once complete, the network is expected to serve more than 20,000 students and community members.
William Bazeeyo, an MTN Uganda Foundation board member, said the project is a deliberate effort to decentralize digital resources. He noted that the initiative aligns with Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan, which targets the creation of 885,000 jobs annually.
Kabale University Vice Chancellor Joy Kwesiga said the hub provides students and the surrounding community with a creative space previously unavailable in the region.
The hub was delivered by Centenary Technology Services. Peter Kahiigi, the firm’s chief technology officer, said the design intentionally avoids the “computer lab” aesthetic to encourage experimentation and collaboration.
Since its inception in 2022, the MTN ACE program has supported several local startups, including the ticketing platform KaCyber and the logistics system RideLink.
