Derrick Roque Ssengendo 🇺🇬💯🌍♥

Last year in Dubai, Uganda joined the Administrative Council of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). Yesterday, I had the distinct honour of representing Uganda at our first council meeting in Berne, Switzerland, alongside delegates from Uganda. While traditional mail volumes have shifted globally, the postal sector is experiencing a powerful resurgence driven by two critical pillars, namely e-commerce and the transformation of postal networks into vital government service centres. Someone might ask, “Why is the UPU important?” Since the breakup of the Uganda Posts and Telecommunications Company, a key agency in Uganda, many Ugandans may not understand the importance of the post. Today, Uganda has an organisation called Posta Uganda Limited, which is 100% government-owned and one of the 40 postal and courier organisations regulated by UCC. People may not always appreciate what the postal and courier sector does. But if you understand how e-commerce is evolving, you'll understand what we mean. As e-commerce redefines global trade, physical parcels require reliable last-mile delivery, secure customs handling, and robust national address systems. Following the successful refurbishment of our Kampala Road post office, we’re modernising more outlets nationwide, turning them into accessible service hubs for citizens, as seen in successful models across developing nations. During my engagements here in Berne, I had the privilege of meeting the UPU Secretary General, Masahiko Metoki, and the Deputy Secretary General, Marjan Osvald, to deepen our institutional collaboration. Our discussions focused mainly on expanding digital capabilities for our designated postal operator, enhancing last-mile logistics, including the rollout of our 70 postal motorbikes, and securing invaluable technical expertise for Uganda’s National Addressing System under the NDPIV framework. The postal sector is no longer just about letters; it is a vital engine of modern logistics, digital trade, and inclusive public service delivery. @UCC_Official remains committed to positioning Uganda at the forefront of the evolving global landscape.

Today, we at @UCC_Official, under #UCUSAF, were honoured to convene a landmark Stakeholder Dialogue on Strengthening Uganda’s Digital Skills Ecosystem, in partnership with the British Council @BritishCouncil, the British High Commission, and UK International Development. As we celebrate 25 years of extending communications to underserved communities, our focus is evolving. While infrastructure remains crucial, Uganda’s primary bottleneck today is the usage gap. We have vast network capacity across the nation, but we must ensure every Ugandan has the skills and confidence to use it productively. Through deliberate digital skilling interventions, #UCUSAF has directly impacted thousands of lives across Uganda. Targeted digital skills training has empowered over 13,000 women, and grassroots digital skilling initiatives have reached over 11,000 rural community members, including farmers, older persons, and persons with disabilities. Again, we have equipped over 6,000 young people with ICT and multimedia skills for the modern economy, and trained 5,000+ micro, small, and medium enterprises across 20 districts to use digital tools to manage records, expand market reach, and access digital financial services. ICT skilling for teachers and the establishment of ICT clubs in schools have also fostered a culture of innovation and learning. Moving beyond basic digital literacy (navigating apps and search engines), our goal is to build digital skills for employability and enterprise development. Connective infrastructure fulfils its promise only when teachers can deliver richer lessons, farmers can access market prices, and young people secure job opportunities. No single institution can bridge this gap alone. By pooling our strengths across government, telecom operators, tech companies, and civil society, we can make digital literacy more inclusive, practical, and sustainable for all Ugandans. We were particularly privileged to be joined by Hon. Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo @Hon_Ssebugwawo, Minister of State for ICT, and by partners from NITA-Uganda @NITAUganda1, academia, the private sector, civil society, and our regulatory peers from Kenya. Thank you to all stakeholders for joining us in building a digitally empowered Uganda.

Two high-level representatives from Group Vivendi Africa, Mr Jean Francios Duboy and Julius Kayoboke, paid a courtesy visit. The main purpose of the visit was to update the Commission on GVA's progress and on its investment in Uganda's ICT sector. In addition, we discussed other key ICT sector issues. I welcomed GVA's continued investment, commended GVA for contributing to market competition and consumer choice, and reiterated the Commission's commitment to a predictable, transparent and enabling regulatory environment that attracts long-term investment while safeguarding consumers. We agreed to maintain open dialogue and collaboration to support the sustainable growth of Uganda's ICT sector.