(Ecofin Agency) - During the ministerial council of March 22, 2021, Uganda approved a project for the construction of a ground station in the country. The infrastructure will be a strategic investment to develop national space capability in a well-coordinated and harmonized way.

According to Judith Nabakooba (pictured), the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, the ground station will help Uganda leverage space-based science and technology for sustainable development. It will provide the country with access to technical information essential for planning and decision-making for social, economic, political, and environmental needs.

Uganda's investment in the space sector is part of President Yoweri Museveni's commitment, in 2019 (during the Russia-Africa summit held in Sochi on October 23-24, 2019) to make the sector a national development tool. The same year, the Ministry of ICT announced a budget aimed at achieving that goal and revealed the country’s ambition to launch its first satellite into space in 2022.

The ground station planned by Uganda will contribute to the improvement of space infrastructure and technology to support research and industrial development in the country. It will also improve defense and national security by facilitating the control of cross-border movements’ monitoring. Also, it will facilitate the training of the human resources needed for the development of space technology in Uganda.  

Muriel Edjo