Regional leaders from East Africa have reaffirmed their dedication to establishing a Partner States–owned communication satellite, a groundbreaking project aimed at providing universal, affordable, and reliable connectivity across the region.
The initiative was the focus of the Senior Officials’ Meeting of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) ICT Infrastructure Development Cluster, in Kigali, Rwanda.
The meeting was chaired by Dr Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary of Uganda’s Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, and co-chaired by Stephen Isaboke, Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications of Kenya. Attendees included senior officials, regulators, space agency representatives, and policymakers from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and South Sudan, with Rwanda’s Permanent Secretary Yves Iradukunda and South Sudan’s Undersecretary Thomas Gatkuoth also participating.
During the discussions, delegates worked to endorse the revised project roadmap and the terms of reference for the feasibility study, which will assess the technical, economic, and governance aspects of the satellite project. They also confirmed the willingness of the partner countries to co-fund the US$1 million study equally and considered a draft ministerial agreement to facilitate funding and implementation.
Iradukunda highlighted Rwanda’s commitment, emphasising regional solidarity and the importance of the initiative for positioning East Africa on the global digital map: “Rwanda is committed to advancing this project for the benefit of our people.”
Zawedde underscored the project’s significance in achieving full national connectivity, aligning with Uganda’s Digital Transformation Roadmap. She stressed that the region’s collective effort to mobilise resources was vital to turning the vision into reality. Hon. Thomas Gatkuoth of South Sudan noted that the initiative would help unlock the country’s technological potential and strengthen regional communication and data security.
Kenya’s Isaboke emphasised that space-based projects are capital-intensive and require strong collaboration, reaffirming Kenya’s support for this transformative agenda. The project promises to deliver extensive benefits, including bridging the digital divide by extending services to remote areas, ensuring data sovereignty through regional ownership, stimulating economic growth via broadcasting and ICT services, supporting cross-border trade, and fostering capacity building through training and knowledge exchange. Establishing shared digital infrastructure through the satellite will also reinforce regional integration and cooperation.
Key recommendations from the meeting included designating the Universal Access Fund as the primary source of financing for the feasibility study, with partner states supplementing with resources from their communications regulatory bodies. The Technical Committee was tasked with preparing a communication plan, starting with cabinet briefings in each country. Additionally, the leaders agreed to hold a ministerial meeting within 30 days to approve the project roadmap and officially adopt the agreement to proceed with the study.
On the sidelines of the event, Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Hon. Paula Ingabire, hosted a breakfast meeting with delegations to review next steps. The participants emphasised that strong regional collaboration will be essential to the project’s success as they move forward. The Kigali session reinforced the collective commitment of East African nations to pursue the satellite initiative, viewing it as a strategic investment in regional connectivity, data sovereignty, and integration.
