Kampala — Dr. Ham-Mukasa Mulira, an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) expert has been appointed as the first minister to serve in a new ICT ministry.

Mulira, will be tasked with bringing together the activities of the directorate of Information, the Media Broadcasting Council, the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) and the National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U).

The ministry is expected to, among other things, spearhead developments aimed to closing the digital divide and eradicate poverty and hunger.

The new ministry, guided by the national ICT policy, will ensure efficiency in service delivery.

Mulira, whom president Yoweri Museveni picked because of his expertise has been the executive director of Uganda Computer Services (UCS)/NITA-U at the ministry of finance, planning and economic development.

The national policy categorises ICT's into three aspects.

These include: information for development and as an industry that involves electronic business, software development and manufacturing.

The setting up of the ministry answers calls by ICT experts in the country who have been clamouring for the creation of an ICT ministry.

Experts reckon an ICT ministry is crucial if the country is to become competitive in the global industry. The ministry is also expected to help fast track the enactment of a new communications policy.

Uganda has been experiencing delays in ICT development because of the absence of a ministry to fast track the national ICT adoption strategic intervention.

Uganda will be foll

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owing in the footsteps of Kenya and Rwanda who have ICT ministries.

However, there have been ongoing developments in the ICT sector, among them the development of a national incubation centre for ICT development.

The centre, still under construction, is expected to be among the largest facilities in Africa.

The facility will house large laboratories, and lecture theatres.

The incubator will create economies of scale that will lead to low cost but high quality education.

There are also ongoing innovations at the faculty of Computing and Information Technology at Makerere University.

Because of an ICT ministry, the Kenyan government is already making big strides in the ICT sector.

That is probably why Kenya could build on its own a fibre optic under-sea cable that will connect her to the rest of the world.