Uganda’s decision to explore the development of an AI-powered parliamentary system is an important step in the country’s digital transformation journey. It also raises a question that deserves wider public discussion about how can Uganda ensure that artificial intelligence is introduced in a way that genuinely benefits citizens and strengthens public institutions?
I welcome the ambition. Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve how public institutions process information, manage large volumes of data and support decision-making. If properly implemented, it could help government institutions work more efficiently and improve the quality of services they provide.
However, I believe Uganda needs to approach AI procurement differently from the procurement of ordinary goods and services. When government procures an AI system, it is not simply buying a piece of technology. It is investing in a system that may process sensitive information, influence decisions and become part of how a public institution operates. That makes the procurement decision much bigger than selecting a supplier and agreeing on a price.
Before an AI system is introduced, government needs to ask some fundamental questions. What problem are we trying to solve? What data will the system use? How will that data be protected? Who will be accountable if the system produces an inaccurate result? What level of human oversight will be required? And, importantly, how will we know whether the investment has actually improved public services? These questions should be answered before procurement decisions are made, rather than after the technology has been deployed.
This is where procurement professionals have an increasingly important role to play. Procurement should not focus only on obtaining technology at the lowest possible cost. It should consider value for money over the entire life of the investment, including maintenance, security, training, technical support, scalability and the ability of government to manage the system in the long term. Uganda should also use this opportunity to build local capacity. If the country is going to invest in AI, we should not only ask what technology we can purchase from elsewhere. We should also ask what knowledge, skills and capabilities Uganda can develop through that investment.
Universities, researchers, technology companies and young professionals should have opportunities to contribute to this emerging area. Government procurement has the potential to do more than purchase solutions; it can help create markets, develop skills and encourage innovation within the country.
At the same time, innovation must be accompanied by accountability. AI can make processes faster, but faster does not always mean better. Important public decisions should not be left entirely to automated systems without appropriate human judgement and oversight.
For me, the most important question is therefore not whether Uganda should use artificial intelligence. We should. The more important question is whether we are prepared to use it responsibly. The success of an AI-powered parliamentary system should not ultimately be measured by whether the system has been developed or launched. It should be measured by what difference it makes. Does it improve efficiency? Does it support better decision-making? Does it reduce unnecessary delays? Does it improve access to information? Does it create better outcomes for citizens?
Uganda has an opportunity to approach this new technology with ambition, but also with caution and purpose. We should avoid adopting AI simply because it is the technology everyone is talking about. Every investment must have a clear problem it is intended to solve and a measurable public benefit. As Uganda moves further into the digital era, procurement will increasingly become part of the country’s innovation strategy. The decisions we make today about what we buy, how we buy it and what we expect from it will shape the public services of tomorrow. Uganda should embrace artificial intelligence, but we must ensure that technology remains a means to an end. The ultimate goal should not be to have more technology in government. It should be to have better government for the people.
Dr Taus Muganda a researcher majoring in procurement, innovation and digital transformation.
