ICT Minister Lumumba Tours Solar-Powered Smart Village in Butaleja

The Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Justine Kasule Lumumba, recently visited the Buhadyo Smart Village in Butaleja District to inspect a transformative digital inclusion initiative. The project is a collaborative effort involving the Ministry, the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U), Huawei, and Airtel, designed to bring modern technology to underserved rural areas.

During the visit, Minister Lumumba toured Buhadyo Primary School and several local households that have been successfully connected to solar power and high-speed internet. Buhadyo serves as the pioneer pilot site for Uganda’s broader Smart Village Initiative, which leverages clean energy infrastructure to bridge the socio-economic gap between urban and rural populations.

With solar solutions provided by Huawei, the government-aided primary school can now operate computers, internet services, and smart classroom solutions. Previously unable to keep basic electronics running, pupils at the school can now interact digitally and share educational materials with students in other parts of the country, such as Nakasero Primary School in Kampala.

NITA-U Executive Director Dr. Hatwib Mugasa explained that the initiative bridges the last-mile gap by tying local communities to the country’s National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI). Local leaders, including Butaleja Member of Parliament James Waluswaka and District LC5 Chairperson Elvis Were, welcomed the development and urged authorities to expand the project to more schools and health centres across the district.

Minister Lumumba emphasized that the successful rollout in Buhadyo demonstrates the government’s commitment to driving rural socio-economic transformation through digital technology, with plans to scale the program nationwide.

Read the full story originally reported by Nile Post.