A Ugandan programme that turns homegrown tech ideas into businesses has been named the top entry across the Commonwealth, and its third intake, run with Makerere University Business School (MUBS) among its partners, is now taking shape.
The Uganda Communications Commission’s (UCC) e-Booster programme was recognised at the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) Digital Excellence Awards in London, held as part of celebrations marking the CTO’s 125th anniversary.
UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo said the project was judged the best submission from all Commonwealth member states, describing the international recognition as “deeply gratifying.”
What is e-Booster?
e-Booster is run through the Uganda Communications Universal Service and Access Fund (UCUSAF), which is financed by levies on telecom operators. It backs ICT products built by Ugandans to solve problems in communities and sectors that technology has largely bypassed.
Two cohorts of innovators have already been through the programme. For Phase III, covering the 2026/27 financial year, UCC is looking for an implementing partner to pick promising innovations and help grow them into viable businesses. The partner will also map Uganda’s wider ICT innovation scene and review what earlier cohorts achieved and where they struggled.
Support on offer includes mentorship, technical help, business development and introductions to investors. Target sectors include agriculture, health, education, financial inclusion, tourism and transport.
Why students should pay attention
For student developers and young founders, the award is a signal that e-Booster is one of the more credible routes from a campus project to a funded business. Thembo has named MUBS among the programme’s partners in its third cycle, putting a university directly in the pipeline.
Many of the problems e-Booster targets, from linking farmers to markets to improving access to health services, are the same ones students already tackle in final-year projects, hackathons and university innovation hubs. A Commonwealth-level stamp of approval could also make it easier for e-Booster alumni to attract investors beyond Uganda.
UCC has not yet announced when applications for the Phase III cohort will open. CampusBee will share the call once it is published.
Thembo credited UCC staff and partners for the recognition. During the London trip, he also met MTN Group officials to review network coverage commitments and joined Commonwealth talks on governing artificial intelligence.
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