Following a successful Africa Blockchain Conference, held at the Serena Hotel Conference Center in Kampala, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, said that his ministry will appoint a taskforce to explore how the Ugandan government can utilise blockchain technology.

The conference was hosted as a partnership between the Blockchain Association of Uganda and Uganda’s Ministry of ICT and National Guidance with a wide range of discussion topics such as cryptocurrencies and digital assets, governance, cybersecurity, regulation and policy, risk and investment opportunities, innovation and technology among others.

Speaking at the conference during his introductory remark, Tumwebaze said: “I have agreed with the Blockchain Association of Uganda, that in the coming weeks, the Ministry will appoint an advisory task force of eminent people on blockchain to further assess the opportunities of the technology and challenges, and advise the government on how to harness the technology. Blockchain technology like any other innovation will successfully take root in Uganda. If you push technology away, others will adopt it.”

Blockchain’s Potential

According to PC Tech Magazine, the Chairman of the Blockchain Association of Uganda, Nkwame Rugunda, was quoted saying, that the “blockchain sits at the fourth stage of Industrial revolution and will significantly redefine our human and social progress because it addresses the critical underlying fabric that defines our human interactions which is trust”.

Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, opened the two-day conference stating that it was necessary for blockchain technology to be studied in-depth to identify the risks and find ways of curbing the risks while enhancing the benefits.

Uganda Banks to Adopt Blockchain Technology

Following the two-day conference, the Uganda Bankers Association (UBA) announced that banks in Uganda will adopt the technology to help lessen operational risks and costs.

In an interview with the Daily Monitor, UBA’s Chairman and the Managing Director at Stanbic Bank, Mr. Patrick Mwehire, said that while the technology had potential risks, there were certain facets that can be leveraged in the banking sector. He said:

“Aspects such as data processing, settlements and payments [are good] and anything that reduces costs and risks is good for us.”

While Rugunda spoke on how the blockchain can fasten payment settlements as its secure, happens in real-time and all data is available on the blockchain, Mwehire spoke on how the technology can be utilised in settling inter-bank payments that typically take about two to three days. Mwehire went on to ask: “We [banks] face high operational cost of up to 70 percent. Therefore, if there is a way we can eliminate them, why not?”

The directive to form a taskforce by the Uganda Minister of ICT and National Guidance comes just three months after Kenya’s ICT Minister, Joe Mucheru, formed a taskforce that is meant to study how the Kenyan government can leverage the blockchain.