What you need to know about the #AskAmama Mobile App

Communication has come a very long way in branching out from the customary mail postal services, to electronic mail, to internet-based social media platforms, and now a newer age of having numerous phone applications that serve a variety of purposes. In today’s digital era, people including very many Ugandans have made social media a huge part of their lives. Evidently a phone app is now one of the leading forms of digital communication in both releasing and receiving information thus, it is extremely beneficial for one who has something to offer to fully utilise the power of having a mobile app.

It is with this background that it wasn’t very surprising that a story broke recently of the development of an app for the Hon. Amama Mbabazi which comes at a prime time as he vies to take up the top job as President of Uganda.

Who developed the App?

The App’s development was kick-started in March 2015 by a group of urban-based pro-Mbabazi youth under the group “Youth for Amama”. The development that took four months of hard work was spearheaded by Alinda Carol with the help of many others.

What is the Ask AMAMA App?

It is a remarkable mobile phone application that provides a unique and discrete platform for users in and out of Uganda to directly reach and engage Hon Amama Mbabazi in an “Ask Amama” session. Using this App, users will be able to directly forward their burning questions/issues to Honorable Mbabazi at any time and receive proper responses/clarification from him.

Within it the app will allow users to vividly get to know and understand Hon Mbabazi as it provides quick factual information about his life and works, what he stands for, career, beliefs and strongholds among other key things.

Why has this App been developed?

Carol believes that as youth at a time such as this we continue to be overwhelmingly bombarded and misled by negative propaganda on a daily basis. Hon Mbabazi has certainly not been spared by this propaganda. She stresses that as a result, so many youth continue to be deceived, taken advantage of, misled and tricked into a negative mindset towards their candidate. This app is to serve as a quick and trusted way of verifying what we hear or what we are told about Hon Mbabazi; it is not possible for him to be on ground at all times to respond to all questions directed his way.

As such, these youth felt the need to have a quick and discrete platform that allows direct dialogue between the youth and Hon Mbabazi. “Ask Amama” is that platform. For anyone out there who has a burning question, seeks clarification or has been misinformed in any way, they will be able to directly send in their questions or queries and receive answers from Hon Mbabazi himself.

The “Ask Amama” App, its dialogue and other features will in no time allow the urban youth to fully understand Hon Amama Mbabazi and what he stands for. By all means, knowing that you can always reach him through the app and that he can always reach its users is surely a step in the right direction for the campaign. A very noteworthy plus to this app is it will be used not just during these campaigns but as a platform for future endeavours; a sitting President with an app that allows direct dialogue with the people would be one for the books!

The App’s functions:

• Ask AMAMA: using this function, a user can type a question or any query (up to 320 characters), after which it will be sent to Hon Mbabazi at the click of a button. Once sent, the user receives a notification message confirming that their question has been successfully delivered.
• Responses: on clicking this button, all the questions/queries and corresponding answers that have been asked in the past by different users are displayed. This function will give users an insight into various issues that Hon Mbabazi will have already addressed or responded to as asked by other users.
• Selfissue: Probably one of the most exciting functions of the app, this is fully designed for the user. Selfissue, which interestingly combines the words “selfie” and “issue”, will have a user basically take a selfie but one which shows a certain issue that needs addressing, then upload on the app, describe that issue in a few words, and submit it to be viewed by everyone who has the application anywhere in the world. For example one can take a selfie next to a pile of wrongfully dumped garbage by the road, take a selfie, describe the issue and upload it.
• Frequently Asked Question: a click of this button will display the most common questions and their corresponding answers as asked by users. Those with the App will therefore be able to follow and read on the insights from the various responses from Hon Mbabazi.
• Life and works: here users can access first hand factual information on Hon Mbabazi’s journey through life and his works/career. This will allow users to get to know him a lot better.
•  What I stand for: everything Hon. Mbabazi has said time and again about the things he stands for will be viewed here.
• About me: Who is Hon. Mbabazi really? Who is JPAM, the man, the father, the husband, the leader?  This is where a user will find out all that.
• Facebook: clicking this button will redirect users to Hon Mbabazi’s official facebook page where they can keep the conversation going.
• Twitter: this redirect will lead users to Hon Mbabazi’s official twitter handle where they can further connect with him.

The app has already been introduced to Honorable Mbabazi and his camp. He liked and appreciated its creativity and talks between his camp and the development team are already underway.