KAMPALA — When President Yoweri Museveni appointed Dr. Aminah Zawedde as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance on July 15, 2021, she made history as the first woman to hold the post. Following her exit in the November 8, 2026 cabinet reshuffle—which saw Prof. Stephen Akandwanaho nominated as her successor—stakeholders across government, the private sector, and the tech ecosystem are reflecting on a five-year tenure widely credited with advancing Uganda’s digital transformation agenda.
Technical Depth & Strategic Vision
A computer scientist with a PhD in Software Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, Zawedde brought deep technical expertise and academic rigor from her time as a lecturer and researcher at Makerere University’s School of Computing and Informatics Technology. Having previously served on the board of the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U)—including a stint as acting chairperson—she entered office with a clear understanding of the infrastructure and institutional frameworks necessary to scale e-government services.
Under her leadership, the ministry operationalized the Digital Transformation Roadmap, a multi-year blueprint focused on five key pillars:
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Expanding digital infrastructure and nationwide connectivity
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Promoting digital public services and e-governance integration
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Strengthening national cybersecurity and data protection frameworks
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Building digital skills and literacy across all demographics
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Fostering local innovation and tech entrepreneurship
These pillars directly aligned the ICT sector with broader national growth initiatives, including the Parish Development Model (PDM) and the Ten-Fold Growth Strategy.
Digital Skilling & Grassroots Innovation
One of the most impactful achievements of Zawedde’s tenure was the aggressive expansion of digital skilling. A nationwide program equipped more than 40,000 Ugandans with essential digital competencies. This initiative prioritized inclusive growth:
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Refugee Inclusion: Over 1,500 refugees earned International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) certifications with an 86% pass rate.
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Public Sector Capacity: Specialization programs trained public officers in digital media and crisis communication in partnership with MultiChoice.
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Decentralized Hubs: Regional innovation and incubation centers were established or supported at institutions like Busitema University and Kabale University, expanding opportunity beyond Kampala.
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Public-Private Partnerships: Collaborative ventures with telecom giants like MTN strengthened the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa alongside other regional hubs, equipping youth with practical skills in software development, data analytics, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
In 2025, Zawedde oversaw the launch of Uganda’s ICT Intellectual Property Guidelines, empowering local tech entrepreneurs to safeguard and commercialize their innovations. She was also a vocal advocate for positioning Uganda as a competitive Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub to create tech-enabled employment for youth. Connectivity metrics surged in tandem, marked by tens of millions of active mobile subscriptions, expanding internet penetration, and accelerating smartphone adoption across the country.
Continental Recognition & Sector Challenges
Zawedde’s leadership earned significant international acclaim. In 2025, CIO Africa Magazine named her among the Top 45 Most Influential Women in Digital Transformation in Africa—the sole Ugandan to make the list. She was also honored with the ICDL Africa Recognition Award in 2024, highlighting her commitment to inclusive growth and her advocacy for encouraging young girls into STEM fields.
Her tenure, however, was not without systemic hurdles:
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Budget Constraints: Parliamentary records from 2024 highlighted funding gaps amounting to tens of billions of shillings, impacting infrastructure rollouts, service digitization, and PDM support.
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Accessibility & Security: Bridging the rural-urban digital divide, lowering device and data costs, strengthening national defenses against rising cyber threats, and ensuring synchronized communication across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) required continuous effort.
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Emerging Tech: The rapid rise of artificial intelligence demanded swift policy adaptation and ongoing institutional capacity building.
A Enduring Foundation
Despite budget constraints and structural hurdles, Zawedde’s tenure is remembered for institutionalizing digital policy, expanding grassroots skills, and deepening public-private sector integration.
As she steps down, observers note that the frameworks, strategic partnerships, and human capital developed over her five-year stewardship leave Uganda’s digital ecosystem on a firm foundation as new leadership takes the helm. Her milestone as the first female Permanent Secretary of the ministry stands as a landmark achievement for gender inclusion in senior technology governance.
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