Ugandan mayors have called for the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and modern technologies to spur urban development, improve service delivery and strengthen revenue collection.
The call was made during a two-day National Mayors Summit held in Moroto, where the push for smarter and more innovative cities dominated discussions.
The summit, organized by AMICAALL Uganda, brought together mayors and municipal leaders from across the country to reflect on the future of Uganda’s urban centers.
Speaking during the annual gathering, Gerald Eugene Semakula, the Country Director of AMICAALL Uganda, urged leaders to embrace emerging technologies when planning for urban growth.
Many young people are already using AI and coming up with new innovations. It would be a disservice to have a leader who is tech-shy, Semakula said.
He emphasized the need to integrate youth-driven ideas into infrastructure development to create cities that young people are proud to call home.
However, experts cautioned that adopting modern technologies requires adequate financing and stronger local revenue systems.
Patrick Mutabwire, an urban development expert and consultant, noted that limited government funding remains a major obstacle.
The biggest problem is the funding gap from the government to cities and municipalities.
Local revenue collections are equally low, making it hard to invest in technology for urban development, he said.
Sam Atul, Mayor of Lira City and Deputy Director at AMICAALL, echoed the concern, saying revenue collection remains low across many districts.
He called for innovative approaches to encourage businesses to comply with tax obligations.
Ismail Mohammed, Mayor of Moroto Municipality, shared his municipality’s progress.
He said when he assumed office in 2021, Moroto was collecting about Shs100 million annually.
Through new strategies to encourage payments, our annual revenue has now risen to over Shs400 million, he said.
Meanwhile, Innocent Godfrey Onega, Mayor of Paidha, stressed the importance of involving mainstream media as strategic partners in development.
He said media houses such as NBS Television and Uganda Broadcasting Corporation can play a key role in championing urban transformation efforts.
At the close of the summit, leaders pledged to adopt resolutions aimed at promoting innovation, strengthening revenue mobilization and accelerating urban transformation across Uganda.