Kampala, Uganda: The Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, has urged Ugandans to channel their efforts into developing homegrown social media platforms instead of constantly demanding the return of Facebook, which the government suspended during the 2021 General Election.
Dr. Baryomunsi made the remarks on October 2, 2025, while opening the two-day National Conference on Communications (NCC) held at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, Kampala.
The Minister emphasized that Uganda’s academic institutions and innovators must take the lead in developing technologies that can facilitate communication and support the country’s digital transformation agenda.
“There has been a constant cry for the reopening of Facebook. But it was just an innovation by an individual. Why are we unable to come up with something of our own that can facilitate communication?” he questioned.
He added that the world has entered an era where technology is unavoidable, and Ugandans must embrace and integrate it into daily life.
“Whether you hide your head in the sand or not, technology will be at your doorstep. Gone are the days when issues of technology were for the Western world. We have to embrace it and live with it,” he said.
The ninth edition of the NCC, held under the theme “Harnessing Digital Innovation to Power Sustainable Local Solutions for Uganda’s Development Goals,” was organized by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) in partnership with ISBAT and Gulu Universities.
The conference aimed to advance research, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among government, academia, and industry stakeholders to drive digital innovation and sustainable development.
UCC Executive Director, Mr. George William Nyombi Thembo, stressed the importance of linking academic innovation with commercial value, saying that true innovation must meet market needs to be sustainable.
“Academia is good at innovating, but the private sector keeps its ears to the market 24/7. Whatever we do must have commercial value because through the private sector, we serve society,” Mr. Nyombi said.
He challenged innovators to think beyond dependency on existing platforms like Facebook and instead develop indigenous digital solutions that address local communication and economic needs.
“Instead of asking government about Facebook, ask whether the void it left can motivate you to innovate. If Facebook was important, then create something different — a Ugandan-made platform,” he added.
ISBAT University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mathew Mathai Kattampackal, noted that the 2025 NCC sought to foster collaboration across sectors to inspire contextually relevant and actionable digital solutions for Uganda’s development.
“Our goal is to connect research, policy, and innovation to the real needs of our communities,” he said.
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