A US technology and investment firm is exploring plans to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) hub in Uganda, following discussions between President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Mehamood Hosein, founder and chairman of HIVE Global Group.
The two met at State House Entebbe on Tuesday to discuss opportunities to develop Uganda’s AI industry and build a technology ecosystem to support economic growth.
In a statement shared on X, President Museveni said he welcomed Hosein’s interest in Uganda, particularly in the country’s energy sector, young population and plans to establish a local AI company and the Global AI Village.
Hosein proposed establishing HIVE Uganda and the Global AI Village, initiatives intended to bring together AI computing centres, reliable energy infrastructure, education, research, technology development and international private investment.
He said the ambition was to position Uganda as Africa’s leading AI nation and enable the country to produce and export AI-powered services to international markets.
“My vision is to help make Uganda the leading AI nation in Africa by building the critical infrastructure needed to transform the continent into a major global computing hub,” Hosein said in remarks following the meeting.
He added that Uganda could export intelligence services in the same way other countries export oil, minerals and manufactured goods.
Hosein, who also founded the Massachusetts-based Hosein Family Office, previously worked as an engineer at EMC Corporation, a data-storage technology company that became part of Dell Technologies in 2016.
He said the proposed initiative would extend beyond data centres to developing a broader technology ecosystem capable of attracting international companies, supporting innovation and expanding opportunities for young people in digital skills, research and technology-based services.
Reliable and competitively priced electricity would be central to the proposal because large-scale AI computing requires substantial computing capacity and energy, Hosein said.
He also said the initiative would seek to mobilise international private capital to develop commercially sustainable infrastructure without adding to Uganda’s sovereign debt burden.
However, details on the proposed investment’s value, financing commitments, implementation timeline, power requirements and projected employment opportunities were not provided.
The discussions come as Uganda seeks to expand its digital economy and attract investment in technology. The proposed AI hub would require further details on implementation and infrastructure needs before its potential economic impact can be assessed.
