Busia District, Uganda | September 15, 2026 -MTN Foundation Uganda, in partnership with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance and Centenary Technology Services, handed over the second MTN ACE Spark Innovation Hub at Busitema University in eastern Uganda, as part of efforts to expand digital innovation and entrepreneurship across the country.
The initiative forms part of a UGX 4 billion investment spread over three years, which will support the establishment of four regional digital innovation centres at public universities and the refurbishment of the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, Kampala.
The Busitema hub follows the successful rollout of the first facility at Kabale University, which is fully equipped with modern digital infrastructure and essential fittings to ensure safety and functionality. It will provide students and surrounding communities with access to future fit digital skills such as Data Science & Analytics, Software Development & Coding, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing among others through the MTN Skills Academy with the support of Anischolar, collaborative workspaces and mentorship opportunities. Additional hubs are planned at Gulu and Soroti universities.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Francis Gimara, a Trustee of the MTN Foundation Uganda said the hubs are expected to serve as centres for experimentation, collaboration and innovation for students and nearby communities.
We at MTN Foundation Uganda believe that everyone should not only enjoy the benefits of
a modern, connected life but also be empowered to drive innovation and entrepreneurship
that transforms the communities in which we operate
He added that more than 20,000 students and community members will gain access to future-fit digital skilling and mentorship to develop solutions to local challenges.
By providing tools, mentorship, and opportunities, we are giving young people the platform
he added
to create practical solutions, start businesses, and contribute to the economic growth of
Uganda.
The development comes as Uganda’s youth, who make up over 75% of the population, increasingly seek access to digital tools and entrepreneurial skills to compete in a rapidly evolving economy.
The guest of honour, Dr. Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and
National Guidance said:
Investing in Uganda’s youth is investing in the country’s future. These hubs equip young people with the skills and support needed to innovate, create jobs, and contribute meaningfully to the digital economy.
Prof. Paul Waako, Vice Chancellor of Busitema University, said the Spark Hub bridges classroom learning with practical application, preparing students to become problem-solvers, entrepreneurs, and innovators.
Peter Kahiigi, Chief Technology Officer of Centenary Technology Services, the programme’s implementing partner, said the Busitema facility had been in use for seven months before the ceremony.
What we handed over today is not a new lab. It is a working one. We built this hub to the standard we would build for ourselves: high-specification equipment, a properly engineered network, a secure and air-conditioned space designed for people to work together, not just
sit in rows. The equipment arrived in February and students have been on it since. That is the test of a project like this: not the ribbon, but whether the room is full on an ordinary weekday,”
Our job was to create an environment where a learner or a young entrepreneur from this community can do serious work with the same tools they would find in Kampala. Nakawa, then Kabale, now Busitema, next Gulu. Four regions, one standard, on campuses and inside the working day. The environment is our part. What the students and the community build in it is the point.
Over the past three years, the MTN ACE Programme has invested more than UGX 4 billion in digital capability development among the population, especially the youth. The renewed funding will support both the regional hubs and the Nakawa ICT Innovation Hub, which has produced innovations such as KaCyber, an online public transport ticketing system and RideLink, an AI-powered logistics platform facilitating import and export solutions.
Strategically distributed across the country to serve all regions, the hubs at Busitema and Soroti universities (East), Gulu University (North), Kabale University (West) and Nakawa (Central) will provide secure, fully equipped environments for learning, collaboration and innovation.
Through its ACE Tech, ACE Career, and ACE Skilling tracks, MTN Foundation Uganda, in partnership with the Ministry of ICT, Centenary Technology Services and the MTN Skills Academy implementing partner, Anischolar, are availing targeted future-fit digital skilling and mentorship to youth, graduates and aspiring entrepreneurs, helping them harness technology to create businesses and solutions that drive economic growth.
Today’s handover marks the beginning of new ideas, enterprises and opportunities. By investing in Uganda’s youth and digital innovation, we are shaping a resilient, competitive and inclusive economy.
Centenary Technology Services (Cente-Tech) is the information and communications technology subsidiary of Centenary Group. It designs, builds and operates digital platforms and infrastructure for the Group and for external clients, and is the implementing partner for the MTN ACE Programme, responsible for the design, procurement, construction, networking and commissioning of the regional Spark Hubs.
