A new digital learning hub aimed at expanding access to technology, internet connectivity and digital skills training has been launched at Katwe Noor Secondary School in Kampala through a partnership between ATC Uganda, Stanbic Bank Uganda, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), Stanbic Kenya Foundation and the school administration.
The facility, known as the Katwe Noor Digital Community, is expected to serve both students and surrounding residents by providing access to computers, internet services and digital learning resources designed to improve education, innovation and economic opportunities.
The initiative forms part of ATC Uganda’s wider Digital Communities programme, which focuses on establishing connected learning spaces in underserved communities. The programme seeks to improve digital literacy, educational access and career development, while contributing to the company’s global target of positively impacting at least two million people by 2030.
Speaking during the launch, Eng. Alfred Bogere, Director for Engineering and Communications Infrastructure at UCC, said the project reflects the growing importance of digital inclusion in Uganda’s development agenda.
Representing UCC Executive Director Hon. Nyombi Thembo, Bogere said expanding access to technology remains critical in improving education, innovation and economic participation across the country.
“As regulators and policymakers, we remain committed to creating an enabling environment that supports connectivity expansion, affordable access, innovation and responsible digital development,” he said.
He added that Uganda’s Digital Transformation Roadmap envisions a well-connected society where technology improves service delivery and creates opportunities for citizens, noting that such goals can only be achieved through partnerships between government, private sector players and local communities.
ATC Uganda Chief Executive Officer Dorothy Ssemanda said the programme is intended to ensure that connectivity infrastructure translates into real benefits for communities.
“Connectivity becomes truly meaningful when it changes lives. Through the Digital Communities programme, we are investing not only in infrastructure, but also in human potential,” she said.
Ssemanda noted that digital access has the potential to support entrepreneurship, widen access to information and create pathways to economic empowerment, particularly among young people.
According to ATC Uganda, the company has established 83 digital communities across the country over the past six years. These include 58 computer hubs in schools and communities, as well as 25 Electronic Medical Records hubs in health facilities, collectively benefiting more than 100,000 people.
Stanbic Bank Uganda Executive Director Sam Mwogeza said the initiative aligns with the bank’s broader agenda of supporting youth empowerment, digital literacy and community development.
He said the bank has committed financing worth up to UGX 1 trillion under its Positive Impact Agenda to support enterprises run by women, youth and farmers.
“These interventions align closely with our strategic pillars of financial inclusion, enterprise development and job creation, infrastructure investment, climate resilience financing and corporate social investment,” Mwogeza said.
He emphasized that Uganda’s youth population remains central to the country’s socio-economic transformation, adding that investing in education, skills development and access to opportunities is essential for sustainable growth.
The launch event attracted government officials, local leaders, school administrators and community members, who later toured the facility.
The project also supports Uganda’s National Broadband Policy and Digital Transformation Roadmap, both of which identify digital infrastructure, innovation and digital literacy as key drivers of national development.
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