Welcome to the last Briefing for this week
UCC pulls statement to protect Airtel
On Monday the telecommunications regulator posted a statement on its website revealing that it was investigating Airtel Uganda following complaints that its 4G network was not as strong as it (Airtel) claimed.
However, that statement was deleted from the website in less than an hour which raised eyebrows.
Now, UCC has revealed to the Second Opinion that the statement was pulled in order to avoid reputational damage and for Airtel Uganda’s competitors not to take advantage of the scandal to harm its business.
UCC says the probe is still underway.
Read the full report here
UTL auditor named
Minister of Investment Evelyn Anite has named Dr. Fixon Akonye to spearhead the audit into Uganda Telecom which has recently hit the spotlight for evading accountability.
Dr. Akonye is the Ministry of Finance Commissioner of Internal Audit and Inspectorate.
This follows a recent letter from President Museveni ordering Anite to appoint an auditor to check the status of the government-owned telco.
Read the full report here
Ugandan startup creates search portal for restaurants and bars
Sowani, a Ugandan startup that was among the winners of the MTN API challenge, is set to roll out an online platform where people in Uganda can locate bars, hotels, and restaurants. The platform will also list the prices of services offered by these facilities.
Read more here
Uganda to host third edition of African Fintech Unconference
Uganda will become the second country to host African Fintech Unconference. For the past two editions, South Africa was the host.
This year the theme will be “Collaboration for Innovation: Fostering Partnerships for Advancing Digital Financial Inclusion”.
This year, the event is offering a number of scholarships to early-stage fintech startups.
The scholarship covers the event ticket, three nights of accommodation, and return flights to Kampala, and is aimed at enabling younger players in the industry to learn from and connect with leading financial services and fintech experts.
To apply for a scholarship, fill out this form by August 9.
The event will take place from September 10 to 12 on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Watch the progress of Kiira Motors factory construction
