MTN Foundation Expands Digital Access to Palabek Refugee Settlement

What the report says

MTN Foundation Uganda has opened a 12-computer ICT hub in Palabek Refugee Settlement in Lamwo District, extending its digital inclusion efforts to northern Uganda. According to Nile Post, the facility was launched with partner Hopelink Action Foundation Uganda and is intended to give refugees and nearby host communities free access to computers, internet connectivity and digital learning resources.

The report says the hub is meant to help address long-standing gaps in technology access in a remote settlement where digital infrastructure is limited. Palabek hosts nearly 72,000 refugees and asylum seekers, many from South Sudan, and the lack of connectivity has made it harder for residents to access online education, job information and other services tied to the digital economy.

MTN Foundation Trustee Francis Gimara said the project is part of the group’s wider push to ensure underserved communities are included in Uganda’s digital transformation. Hopelink Action Foundation Executive Director Richard Ochaka Okot said the centre would be kept accessible and useful to the community, while an Office of the Prime Minister representative welcomed the investment as support for refugee resilience and self-reliance.

Nile Post also noted that the Palabek hub adds to MTN Foundation’s wider network of ICT centres across Uganda and aligns with MTN Uganda’s Ambition 2030 strategy, as well as national development priorities around digital transformation and human capital development.