Ministers of State for ICT and National Guidance and EAC Affairs Hon. Alioni Odria with Hon. Magode Ikuya
By Johannah Nantongo
KAMPALA — Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs has urged Uganda’s representatives in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) to lobby regional partner states to sign and ratify the East African Community (EAC) Protocol on ICT Networks to accelerate digital integration.
The committee expressed concern that Uganda and Rwanda are currently the only EAC member states that have both signed and ratified the agreement, leaving other partner states yet to complete the process.
The matter emerged as legislators reviewed Uganda’s progress in implementing the protocol, particularly its implications for regional connectivity, infrastructure sharing and reducing communication costs across East Africa.
The committee, chaired by Ora County MP Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny, raised the concerns during a meeting with the Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance, Alioni Yorke Odria, and the Minister of State for East African Community Affairs, James Magode Ikuya.
Odria supported the legislators’ position, calling on Uganda’s representatives at EALA to engage their counterparts and encourage faster ratification of the agreement.
He said full regional participation would enable citizens and businesses across the partner states to benefit from improved connectivity and the broader objectives of EAC integration.
Adopted in 2013, the Protocol on ICT Networks establishes a regional framework for sharing telecommunications infrastructure, strengthening cross-border connectivity, improving cybersecurity cooperation and harmonising information and communication technology policies.
The agreement is intended to expand access to communication services, improve service quality and make connectivity more affordable across the region.
Kwiyucwiny also called on the EAC Council of Ministers to take up the matter and encourage partner states that have not ratified the protocol to complete the process.
She said coordinated implementation would be essential in ensuring that all member states benefit from regional digital infrastructure and improved communication services.
The committee’s deliberations come amid broader regional efforts to strengthen digital connectivity and facilitate the movement of information, services and business across East African borders.