Six countries within the East African Community have endorsed a key satellite communication initiative which is expected to make them less reliant on foreign firms.
During the Northern Corridor Integration Project (NCIP) meeting in Nairobi, the countries which include Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo endorsed the Regional Communication & Broadcasting Satellite Initiative which seeks to provide affordable broadband and broadcasting services to consumers in the region.
The initiative which was approved at the NCIP ICT Cluster’s Joint Ministerial Meeting in Nairobi in 2023 will also target to reduce dependence on foreign satellite providers and address connectivity gaps in underserved areas.
A roadmap for the project was initially drafted in Kampala in June 2024, and later reviewed in Juba on February 2025.
However, approval of the roadmap faced delays due to the absence of Permanent Secretary-level representation from Kenya and Rwanda at the Juba meeting.
During the meeting in Nairobi to finalise the adoption of the NCIP report which is set to be presented at an upcoming ministerial round table, the countries also held discussions on the ICT Infrastructure Development Cluster, coordinated by Uganda, which focuses on cross-border telecom connectivity, mobile service integration, digital public service delivery and the One Network Area (ONA) initiative for harmonized voice, data, and SMS services across member states.
The countries further established a technical working team which is expected to hold weekly meetings to refine the project’s approach.
The meeting which was chaired by Uganda Permanent Secretary for ICT and National Guidance Dr. Aminah Zawedde was also attended Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Stephen Isaboke, Thomas Gatkuoth, Undersecretary of South Sudan’s Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services and Yves Iradukunda, Permanent Secretary for ICT and Innovation from Rwanda.
