The deputy speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa has urged policymakers to swiftly draft and pass relevant regulations around data usage and artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking at the first data analytics, artificial intelligence, and data governance symposium in Kampala, Tayebwa said he would ensure Uganda catches up with technological development. “Many of our youths in the private sector have run ahead and are already benefitting from AI even in the absence of enabling laws,” he stated. Adding “As a government, we need to work faster to own and manage local data and empower Ugandans to use it to make data-driven decisions”.
He underscored the need to establish a law to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the country, calling for the strengthening of existing data protection laws at both the continental and national levels for the benefit of users.
In his key note address at the Symposium, Dr. Fred Muhumuza, a senior economist and development expert, said government and Ugandans need to have access to reliable big data to make informed decisions. He highlighted the importance and urgency of data integration and interrogation, especially in the policy environment to enable Social-Economic Transformation in Uganda.
The symposium which brought together over 150 CEOs and top executives from diverse sectors including media, banking, fintech, government, agencies and private sector, was themed; “The role of Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence in social-economic transformation”.
The symposium convener and CEO of Task Managers Ltd Arthur Arinaitwe said the event had been in the offing since 2018, to bring together industry experts to discuss data usage and management, while enabling businesses to fasten and make more accurate decisions to offer better solutions sustainably to their customers.
