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Johannesburg, South Africa | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda is looking to expand the reach of its homegrown technology across the continent through a strategic dialogue with MTN, the South African telecom giant.
A delegation led by Ugandan High Commissioner Paul Amoru met with MTN South Africa’s General Manager for Enterprise Solutions, Sudipto Moitra, to discuss public-private collaborations aimed at co-creating innovative solutions in transport, connectivity, and broader technology sectors.
The meeting followed the arrival of Uganda’s Kayoola E-Coach in South Africa, a fully electric bus built by Kiira Motors. The bus left Kampala on Nov. 20 for a 13,000 km expedition to Cape Town and back. When it reached Johannesburg, it had covered 4,916 km—about 39% of the journey—while cutting carbon emissions by 2,270 kg.
Catherine Muwumuza, Superintendent of Support Services at the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretariat in the President’s Office, said scaling Uganda’s technology requires a partnership with MTN to leverage its continental network.
“The Kayoola Electric bus proves our innovations work. Moving people requires connectivity, and that’s where MTN comes in,” Muwumuza said, noting that further collaboration could advance e-mobility across Africa.
MTN’s Moitra said the company is transitioning from a telecom operator to a broader tech enterprise and is ready to support Uganda’s innovation agenda.
“We have seen significant innovation in Uganda and are well poised to co-create with the country. MTN leadership is committed to scaling these solutions,” he said.
Amoru thanked MTN for responding to President Yoweri Museveni’s call during the Uganda-South Africa Investment Summit for private-sector support in public-private initiatives.
The discussions highlighted a shared commitment to scalable innovation, ecosystem strengthening, and the development of solutions that could accelerate Africa’s progress.
