With Africa’s youth increasingly taking to smartphones to engage in a variety of activities – including civic and political activism – on social media, smart handset shipments are on the rise across the continent. They have now overtaken feature phone shipments for the first time, according to new reports. SPECIAL …
Read More »Chinese firm MiOne unveils locally assembled smartphones
The new U1 and Joy 9 smartphones are said to be `high-quality and pocket-friendly’ MBALE, UGANDA | AGENCIES | Chinese phone manufacturer MiOne has released two new smartphones, the U1 and Joy 9, assembled in Uganda’s Mbale City. The phones were unveiled by Uganda’s Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. …
Read More »MTN to buy one million Ugandan-manufactured smartphones
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MTN Uganda has pledged to support the local assembly and manufacturing of smartphones by purchasing one million handsets. Smartphone penetration is still below 40% in the country and lowering the cost of handsets will go a long way to improve overall penetration. Speaking at the …
Read More »Don’t make blanket ban of smartphones in schools – Kyambogo don
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Dr. Stephen Ndawula, an expert in Educational Communication and Technology, says that there is no need for Uganda, and other countries alike, to make a blanket ban on smartphones from students in schools. Dr Ndawula who is the head of the Department of Curriculum, Teaching, …
Read More »Patients denied treatment in Arua hospital over lack of smartphones
Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Several patients seeking health services at Arua Regional Referral Hospital in the West Nile Region are being denied treatment due to lack of smartphones. The most affected patients are those seeking radiology services like X-ray and computerized tomography CT scan at the Out-Patients Department (OPD). …
Read More »MTN Uganda, TakeNow partner sell smartphones on credit
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MTN Uganda has introduced its latest smartphone offerings in partnership with TakeNow, offering its valued customers a wider range of choices. MTN customers will via this collaboration have access to an extensive selection of Tecno, Itel, and Infinix smartphones in the open market. To further …
Read More »Kenya to roll out 1m locally assembled smartphones
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kenya plans to roll out the first consignment of one million locally-assembled smartphones in two months at a unit price of Kshs 5,484 ($40), in a bid to foster digital access and inclusion. ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo said the affordability of smart devices has …
Read More »Growing internet access in Uganda requires affirmative action on smartphones
COMMENT | HENRY NJOROGE | President Yoweri Museveni recently recently commissioned the Regional ICT Infrastructure and E-Government Services in Gulu City and called for the adoption and use of ICT in public service delivery in transforming Uganda into a knowledge-based economy. The Uganda Vision 2040 identifies ICT among the key …
Read More »Halt use of smartphones in schools: Minister Muyingo
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Education and Sports has asked schools to halt the use of smartphones as teaching aids. The State Minister for Higher Education, Dr Chrysostom Muyingo issued the orders at a press briefing at the Ministry of Education offices in Kampala. The minister noted that while …
Read More »NCDC suggests use of smartphones to deliver lower secondary curriculum
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Curriculum Development Centre-NCDC has asked the Ministry of Education to allow senior one and two learners to use smartphones. Officials at the NCDC say they are receiving complaints from some schools about the delays to get textbooks to guide them to deliver the …
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