On Monday morning , Dr. Aminah Zawedde and Ms. Vivian Ddambya were awarded National medals for their outstanding contribution to the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Uganda.
During the National Labour Day Celebrations in the Busoga district of Namutumba, the President of Uganda, H.E Gen Yoweri Museveni, heralded the two ladies for Distinguished Service to the Nation in the field of ICT for their exceptional work in promoting and advancing the use of ICT in Uganda.

The National Medal is one of the highest honors bestowed upon individuals by the
Government of Uganda for their exceptional contributions to society. The medal
recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the country’s
development in various fields, including science, technology, arts, and culture.
Dr. Zawedde and Ms. Ddambya have been at the forefront of promoting the use of
ICT in Uganda.
Their vision and leadership have helped transform the way technology
is used in various sectors, including education, healthcare, and Government
services. Their tireless efforts have contributed significantly to the country’s
development and have helped bridge the digital divide between urban and rural
areas.
Dr. Aminah Zawedde is the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and
National Guidance. She holds a PhD in Computer Science (Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands), an MSc. Computer Science (Makerere University), a PGDip in Educational Technologies (University of Cape Town, South Africa), PGD in Education (IUIU) and a BSc. (Statistics and Economics) (Makerere University,Uganda).

Dr. Zawedde is an experienced IT professional passionate about embracing digital transformation to improve business models, service delivery and transform people’s lives. She provides strategic and technical leadership on how various sectors can leverage innovation and digital solutions to solve their problems while creating employment opportunities for the youths. To this end, she has played a big role in strengthening the linkages between Government, the private sector, academia and development partners.
She is a Rotarian and also serves on the boards of Uganda National Bureau of
Standards, Uganda Telecommunications Corporation Limited, DFCU Limited and
Mustard Seed Junior School. Dr. Zawedde joined the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA–U) board in 2016 as the youngest member of the board. She chaired the Digital Transformation Committee and was Acting Chairperson of the board for one 1 year.
At the helm of the NITA–U Board, she presided over the expansion of the Government ICT Fibre across Uganda. Additionally, she ensured that Uganda’s cyberspace became more secure through the enactment of the Data Protection and Privacy Act.
Dr Zawedde is the first female Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and
National Guidance, a testimony of H.E President Museveni’s intentionality to drive
inclusion and gender equality.
During the 18 months that Dr. Zawedde has been at the helm of the ICT sector,
Uganda’s internet users grew to 23.7million, with mobile phone subscriptions
growing to over 32 million users and 40.7million digital wallets being recorded as
active.
Solving youth unemployment is at the heart of Dr. Zawedde’s efforts in the sector,
and the reason as to why she has prioritized Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) as a solution to unemployment. As a start to the fight against unemployment, she
enabled the appointment of a Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) and Innovation Council.
The first of its kind in Uganda, the council is now operational and works with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance to formulate strategies for creating jobs for the youth through ICT outsourcing and Innovation; and prescribe regulatory frameworks/reforms and projects relevant to the growth of the BPO and Innovation industry.
Within her 1st year in the sector, a campaign known as Discover Africa’s Innovation Powerhouse was launched. During the campaign, the Government celebrated Ugandan excellence and industry by profiling Ugandan talent and inviting the world to discover the opportunities abound in the Pearl of Africa. The campaign highlighted how innovations by Ugandans have created solutions to the various societal challenges.
The campaign saw the participation of Ugandan innovators at the Dubai
Expo and the branding & marketing of Uganda as a destination for BPO & Innovation investment, engaging in a global conversation with other innovators from around the world, and job creation through great partnerships.
Following the campaign, it should be noted that in January 2023, the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance on boarded a global partner, Helpware, the largest and fast–growing BPO company in the United States, to launch a ‘people as a service’ facility in Uganda. Within the calendar year 2023, over 1,000 youth will be employed in this facility to support operations of global brands like Tik–Tok and Netflix. Dr. Zawedde led the development of the Parish Development Model Information System (PDMIS).
The landmark system was locally developed and is being used to collect all parish data across Uganda and is being used by all partnering institutions to track all Parish Development Model implementation initiatives.
Cognizant that the job to digitize the nation is not borne of Government alone, Dr.
Zawedde has nurtured partnerships with the private sector. This is in–line with
government’s commitment to create a digitally driven economy and realize universal goals inclusion, sustainable development, economic progress and poverty eradication through digital innovation.
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