Kin Kariisa Says Uganda Must Turn Digital Connectivity Into Economic Opportunity

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Next Media Group CEO Kin Kariisa used the opening keynote at the third State of the Digital Economy forum, SODE 2026, to argue that Uganda’s digital agenda should now shift from expanding access to converting connectivity into economic value. Speaking at the event themed “Beyond Connectivity: Turning Access into Opportunity,” Kariisa said the country’s debate has moved from whether people can get online to how internet access can support employment, enterprise, innovation and better public services.

According to the report, Kariisa pointed to Uganda’s progress since the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting period, recalling when mobile email access was considered a major achievement. He said digital infrastructure now reaches beyond major cities, citing 5G availability in his rural home area of Ntungamo as an example of wider investment in connectivity. His comments were presented alongside similar calls from Next Media’s Joy Mwangi, ICT Minister Justine Lumumba and Permanent Secretary Dr Aminah Zawedde for broader, more affordable and coordinated digital transformation.

Kariisa focused heavily on young Ugandans, urging them to see smartphones as tools for income generation through entrepreneurship, digital services and content creation. He cited Next Media’s Next Creata Programme, run with the Mastercard Foundation, as an effort to train young people in practical digital skills and expand creator hubs.

He also proposed reviewing taxes on smartphones and internet access to improve affordability, and called for engagement with global platforms such as TikTok and X so Ugandan creators can access monetisation options available elsewhere. The wider significance, as reported by Nile Post, is that Uganda’s next digital challenge is not simply connection, but turning that access into jobs, local content, business growth and inclusive economic opportunity.