Kampala — AFTER close to two years of waiting, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions can now acquire low cost computers.

The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology on Thursday launched the Computers for Schools Uganda, a project aimed at bridging the digital-divide in the country.

Both rural and urban schools are set to acquire refurbished personal computers at only sh384,208 each. A brand new computer set costs over sh1.5m.

Launching the project, the ICT state minister, Alintuma Nsambu, emphasised the role of information technology in economic development.

"ICT is vital for rural transformation and a strong engine for national development," he noted.

The launch took place at the headquarters of the International Computer Experts Development Project (ICEDP), the lead company in the venture, in Muyenga, Kampala.

Nsambu said banks and several other private companies had partnered to make the computers and Internet service provision affordable to all schools in the country.

They include ICT Facilitators, Modern Power, and Computer Aid International.

"At least 30% of the total number of computers imported will be equitably distributed to rural schools in the four regions of Uganda," Nsambu said, urging the Government to allocate the project funds.

ICEDP executive director Eddie Mujuzi said the company had already imported 236 computers, adding that more than 18,000 would be imported next year to facilitate the project.

There are over 10,000 primary schools, 4,600 secondary schools, in addition to the universities and tertiary institutions in Uganda slated to benefit from the scheme.

Centenary and DFCU banks are among the institutions that pledged low interest loans to schools to enable them to buy the computers.

For the schools in rural areas without electricity, the minister said, companies that provide solar energy had been contracted to provide lunar power to use the computers.

Andrew Gidoi, the Uganda Telecom solutions engineer, said they had also susidised internet service connection to schools by 50%.

Cabinet recently included computer science on the list of compulsory subjects in secondary schools.

Canada, Kenya are Libya are among the developin countries implementing the project.