The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has reaffirmed its commitment to preparing young people for the challenges of the digital age, according to the acting executive director, Julian Mweheire.
Ms. Mweheire underlined the initiative at the Grand Finale of the UCC Debate Series, a five-day event held from 2-6 December 2025 at Greenhill Academy in Kibuli.
With 17,800 students from 71 schools taking part this year, the UCC Debate Series is a major national platform for raising youth voices on digital safety, responsible online behaviour, and the future of communication technologies.
Ms. Mweheire emphasised that as Uganda undergoes a rapid digital transformation, young people—the most active digital users—face increasingly complex online dangers. The debate series was set up to provide them with research skills, critical thinking, and ethical digital citizenship, ensuring they become informed contributors to policy, rather than just technology consumers.
The grand finale saw 245 top-performing students from 50 schools compete, having qualified through regional rounds held in Fort Portal, Lira, Jinja, and Kampala in July.
Ms. Mweheire thanked partner institutions, including Green Hill Academy and Debate Institute Africa, for their role in nurturing the country’s next generation of thinkers. She noted that the ideas generated during the debates would inform national discussions on issues such as online child protection and data privacy.
Speaking on the impact of the programme, Ms. Mweheire stated, “It has become the equaliser. In this hall, students from various regions have stood toe-to-toe and won on the strength of research, logic and delivery.”
Organised in partnership with Debate Afrika, the competition used the World Schools debate format, requiring evidence-based arguments and quick thinking. Focus areas included cyberbullying, responsible digital use, and data protection.
The event closed with an awards ceremony that recognised excellence in research and teamwork.
