President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has met with Mehamood Hosein, founder and chairman of the US-based technology and investment enterprise Hive Global Group, to discuss opportunities for cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation.
During a meeting held at State House Entebbe, the two discussed a vision to position Uganda as Africa’s leading AI nation and establish the continent as a major global hub for AI computing and intelligence services.
Museveni welcomed Hosein and expressed interest in exploring opportunities presented by the rapidly evolving AI industry.
“I welcome you to Uganda. AI is a gap. I am happy to learn from you and what you bring to the AI industry,” Museveni said.
Hosein, who also founded the Massachusetts-based Hosein Family Office, brings experience in the technology sector. He was among the early engineers at EMC Corporation, where he helped develop data-storage infrastructure that supported the growth of the global information economy.
EMC grew into a major technology company employing more than 55,000 people worldwide before becoming part of Dell Technologies in 2016.
Drawing on his experience, Hosein said the world was entering a new economic era driven by artificial intelligence, with computing infrastructure expected to play a central role in global economic growth.
“We helped build the infrastructure that powered the information age. Today, AI infrastructure will power the intelligence age and become a major driver of global economic growth,” he said.
Hosein outlined plans to establish HIVE Uganda and The Global AI Village, a proposed initiative that would bring together advanced AI computing centres, reliable energy infrastructure, education, research, technology development and international private investment.
He said the initiative aims to position Uganda as a producer and exporter of AI-powered services, enabling the country to compete more effectively in the emerging global intelligence economy.
“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. We want Uganda to produce and export intelligence services to the world, just as nations export oil, minerals and manufactured goods,” Hosein said.
He emphasised that the proposed initiative would go beyond constructing data centres to developing a broader technology ecosystem capable of empowering Uganda’s youthful population, attracting global technology companies and creating new industries.
According to Hosein, such an ecosystem could contribute to economic growth by expanding opportunities in research, innovation, digital skills development and technology-based services.
He also highlighted the importance of Uganda’s energy sector, noting that reliable and competitively priced electricity would be essential to supporting large-scale AI computing infrastructure.
Hosein said the proposed initiative would seek to mobilise international private capital to develop commercially sustainable infrastructure without adding to Uganda’s sovereign debt burden.