Davis Weddi
10 November 2009
Kampala — THE information and communication technology (ICT) ministry and sector stakeholders meet today to resolve outstanding issues.This follows the recent hard-hitting complaints and negative publicity on the the ministry.
The stakeholders are led by Uganda's most active ICT forum, the I-Network. In a notice to ICT sector stakeholders, Elisha Wasukira, the I-Network chief, said they want to forge a "working relationship with the ministry."
According to the notice, a roadmap for the National IT Authority of Uganda (NITA-U) is among the issues to be discussed.
It will be presented by the ministry and NITA-U board of directors. Thereafter, there will be a discussion of the proposed mechanisms. This will be followed by remarks by the ICT ministry Permanent Secretary.
Delays in operationalising NITA-U have also raised concern among industry stakeholders. The body is expected to become operational anytime after recruitment of staff.
Last week, Business Vision reported that stakeholders were not happy with the way the NITA-U board was constituted.
Badru Ntege, one of the I-Network forum's 'champions', hailed the move by the ministry to accept dialogue with its stakeholders.
"This is a turning point in how we want our ministry to run. "ICT is a bottom-up industry and it is time that policy is made with consideration of the real users."
He was hopeful that the dialogue would be honest and progressive to create sustainable growth. He noted: "Our interest as stakeholders is to make sure that you succeed in meeting your mandate and become the shining institution of government."
The dialogue takes place this afternoon at the Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala. The NITA-U board has so far lost two members; Ibrahim Khaliisa, the presidential assistant on ICT and Ambrose Ruyooka, the acting commissioner for IT.
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