After another year of fast-paced innovation, media managers, experts and academics posed a few tough questions at this year’s Nordic AI in Media Summit (NAMS), hosted at the JP/Politikens former printing press. Both the ink-stained walls and the lyrics of Video Killed the Radio Star served as reminders that the news industry has survived previous rounds of technological changes. But Canadian AI expert Nikita Roy warned the audiences that survival is not a given: “Awareness is not immunity.”

The fourth edition of the summit, hosted in Copenhagen by the Nordic AI Journalism Network, shifted the focus from tools and experiments to some of the more fundamental issues AI is surfacing for the news industry. What will the news economy look like? What (and who) will be automated? What will journalism mean in the age of AI? Speakers and attendees agreed the jury is out for all of these questions. Or at least, no one has definitive answers for them yet.

NAMS is led by Olle Zachrison, head of news AI for BBC News, Kasper Lindskow and Sara Inkeri Vardar from JP/Politikens Media Group, and Agnes Stenbom Swedling from Schibsted, who until recently was a visiting fellow at the Reuters Institute.

The summit included keynote lectures by experts such as Ezra Eeman from NPO, Nikita Roy from Newsroom Robots and our senior research associate Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, now at the University of Copenhagen. There were also presentations of AI projects and tools from many organisations, and breakout sessions targeting specific issues, with most of the latter held under Chatham House rules.

If you couldn’t be in Copenhagen this week, here are five key takeaways from the summit, ranging from broad questions on how AI will change the future of journalism to more practical takeaways from newsrooms navigating these changes. You will soon be able to catch up with the conference programme in full here.

1. It’s time for a radical reimagining of the news economy

The impact of AI will bring a fundamental restructuring of both the supply and demand side of the news economy, said Shuwei Fang, a Shorenstein Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. As she explained in this powerful essay we published in March, she predicts four paradigm shifts: scarcity to abundance, a human audience to a machine audience, attention to intention, and artefacts to liquid content.

She believes these shifts will result in significant changes for the news ecosystem. For example, news production could shift from a “stock model,” where a news product is first produced and subsequently consumed by users, to a “flow model” where content is crafted at the moment of consumption specifically for a particular user.

Another shift could be news going from a B2C product to B2A2C (business to agent to consumer). Here, the “A” layer includes multiple agents with different needs in their own right, depending on their purpose.

The ecosystem emerging can produce answers to extremely niche, detailed questions addressing individuals’ needs, Fang said. While this presents opportunities, the distance that AI creates between audiences and news organisations could alienate publishers from important information about what audiences need from them.

Fang also predicted that the market for news could start to bifurcate between luxury and commodity, with extremes at either end and a hollowed-out middle. The luxury end would be defined by intangible qualities like brand identity and trust, with offerings like member communities and shared live experiences. The commodity end will be defined by infrastructure and integration.

There would be AI and human presence across both ends of the spectrum. The middle, where most news organisations sit today, would be dangerous ground, Fang said.

Despite the risks inherent to the scenarios she painted, Fang is not a pessimist. “The market for knowledge could get much bigger,” she said, with possible expansion both on the supply and demand side. Opportunities include lower production costs and the possibility to use AI to reach underserved audiences.

However, the value brought by AI may not be evenly distributed, and power could concentrate in a handful of players. For news organisations thinking about how to position themselves for the future, Fang heeded a warning: “Be suspicious of solutions that require the least amount of change.”

2. It’s also time to rethink what journalism is

If the news industry is to reorient itself in light of AI, it will need to redefine itself. “People don’t want news, as in facts, but they might want sensemaking,” said Florent Daudens, CEO and co-founder of Mizal AI, a startup offering production agents for media companies. This is why Substack is growing even as other forms of media struggle, he said.

Facts might not be a great bet in a news ecosystem increasingly mediated by AI either, Daudens said, as tech companies could get them by striking a deal with a single newswire.

This thought was echoed by Fang: there’s so much free information online such as research and press releases that AI companies could draw from, and that, for some, may be indistinguishable from journalism by news organisations.

Nikita Roy suggested we are at a turning point that, if missed, could spell disaster for the news industry. “We are in our Nokia and Kodak moment, where we are looking at a new product but thinking with the metrics of an old product,” she warned. Instead of worrying about how to recover lost web traffic and otherwise defend the status quo, we need to leave behind old assumptions.

AI is disrupting something more fundamental, Roy said: how information moves, how value is captured, what it means to be a media company.

This is a bigger shift than the one from print to digital, as then the role of the publisher remained largely the same. To Roy, publishers may be approaching this from a loss perspective, feeling their losses but not considering what they could gain.

Echoing Fang, she also asked those present to consider the people they could reach that it had not been possible to serve before. “We mistake the container for journalism,” she said, referring to an article, a podcast episode or a newsletter issue. And then she asked a fundamental question: “If you knew nothing about websites, but you knew people still needed verified information to navigate their lives, what would you build?”

A slide from Nikita Roy’s presentation. Image courtesy of NAMS.

3. Agents might be the future

Agents took centre stage at this year’s summit. In a future when many people navigate the web with their own personal agent, as David Caswell outlined in an essay we published last year, publishers’ relationships with audiences would be mediated through this middle layer.

Florent Daudens described how agents would surf the web on behalf of the humans they serve, visiting websites, extracting and repackaging information according to their person’s wants and needs. They may even be authorised to pay for news, in a sort of micropayment system as suggested by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in a recent conversation with the Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson.

For news publishers, this would mean learning how to embed instructions for agents on their websites, instructing them on how to use their content, and working out how to serve information to agents in a way that would preserve the organisation’s tone and identity.

Key to this is keeping your data in order, which isn’t something many news organisations have prioritised until now. “Very few news organisations structure their data properly, and that’s a huge problem,” said consultant Madhav Chinnappa, until recently a visiting fellow at the Reuters Institute.

Roy described how this kind of future might work. In this new world, “you no longer need to be found, you need to be worth monitoring,” she said. Publishers would find themselves creating for two audiences: humans and agents. The latter wouldn’t only be the personal agents Daudens suggested, but also platform agents, newsroom agents, and even adversarial agents.

“By the time agents are reliable enough, it will be too late. We can’t wait and see. We need to experiment now, as much as we can,” Roy warned.

This might still seem far-fetched to some, but agents have already improved substantially over the last year, with the biggest impact on coding.

Agents also began playing a role in newsroom AI tools. Norwegian local media network Polaris Media Vest uses agentic as well as vibe coding for a range of journalistic tools and widgets, some of which non-coding reporters built, said Kaja Distad, head of editorial development.

In Schibsted, video experts taught an agent to work like them to develop a tool now used to convert any content from its subsidiary VG into a social-ready video. Football World Cup-focused chatbots developed by Swedish tabloid rivals Aftonbladet and Expressen both use agentic workflows. Danish publisher Bonnier’s new internal tool Flows allows journalists to set up their own agentic systems, combining research, extraction and planning, decision and writing. This tool is used, for example, to monitor, summarise and notify them of a story they may want to cover. In some ways, agents are already here.

4. Large legacy newsrooms send out nimble explorers

Characterised both as speedboats sailing ahead of a large ship and as light drones compared to heavy tanks, legacy newsrooms shared how they are using relatively small and fast-moving AI experiments to test out new ideas while protecting their core brand.

The military analogy was shared by Amalie Kestler, editor-in-chief of Politiken, the Danish newspaper in whose former printing press the meeting was held. Newsrooms can be run like tanks, heavy and slow with a centralised hierarchy, she explained. Or they can be run like drones, light and quick. The tank model has its place, but in some cases newsrooms should opt for the drone approach.

For Politiken, AI experimentation has expanded beyond data journalism and its multiuse tool Magna into the quick-paced vibe coding, leading to interactive widgets to encourage audiences to engage with news stories.

An eye-catching example was the “death machine”, which asks users to input information about their lifestyle and uses statistics to predict when they will die. At the same time, Politiken is also highlighting the human aspects to its journalism with video podcasts and live debates.

Gard Steiro, editor-in-chief and CEO of Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang (VG), built upon past NAMS presentations to make the case for moving on from experimentation to scaling. For him, this also means doubling down on the human touch that AI cannot replace in journalism. “There are people out there who need to be met at eye level and tell their stories, and rest assured that Sam Altman doesn’t give a damn about them,” he said.

Steiro also sees a great need for change to make the most of the opportunities afforded by AI. “If we don’t make an effort to change, the untapped potential will be so great that any startup will overtake us,” he said.

Legacy newsrooms are slow like large ships, so VG is sending out speedboats to test the waters. These include VG X, a new app-based news service that replaces articles with summarised information updated around the clock and managed almost entirely by AI, using a clustering algorithm to group together VG articles and videos into stories. As there is no CMS, editors can request changes directly in the product, akin to talking to it.

Another of these speedboats is VG Lab, an internal tool to quickly test ideas and get an assessment of whether VG could execute it, whether there’s a market for it, how much it would cost, and what similar offerings exist around the world. This is led by two people and a team of agents, and led to the creation of Norway’s fastest growing app last autumn, Steiro said.

Gard Steiro’s presentation. Image courtesy of NAMS.

5. What do audiences want?

An underlying motif pervaded the summit: the idea that AI could be used by publishers to get a better idea of what their audiences want and need through a new ability to ask direct questions.

Daudens mentioned this as an advantage of personal agents: by looking at what agents are seeking out from websites, publishers may figure out areas that require further reporting. Also by analysing how audiences use AI chatbots and the kinds of questions they ask, news organisations can know what kinds of stories they want more of.

In a panel discussion moderated by our researcher Felix Simon, the conversation turned to the importance of building relationships with the audience. “We can create as much journalism as we want, but if people don’t want to be sources, or don’t want to read us, there’s no point,” said Stine Thorsgaard Kjær, head of innovation and development at TV2 Østjylland.

There is a potential problem for journalists who use AI. In a closing keynote, Rasmus Kleis Nielsen asked a key question posed by the Reuters Institute’s survey data: audiences tend to be sceptical of AI in journalism.

It could be that journalists who want to use AI and be explicit about their use aren’t making a good case for this to the public, he suggested. If we want to both use AI and foster trust, there are many factors that contribute to trust that have very little if anything to do with technology. As our Trust in News Project found, it’s about brand, presentation, language, bias, factual accuracy.

“It remains really important that you, as a professional community of practice, continue to judge your own work by your own standards” when it comes to AI use, Nielsen said. But that’s only one leg of value and trust, and probably not the most important one. The second, he added, is a public test: the need to convince members of the public, “what is in it for us?”

Marina Adami writes articles on the future of journalism worldwide and occasionally works with the Reuters Institute’s research team. 

The post Nordic AI in Media Summit 2026: A deep look into how AI is about to revolutionise the news ecosystem appeared first on 256 Business News.

Global payments company PayPal is betting big on Africa’s digital economy after expanding access to its digital dollar stablecoin, PayPal USD (PYUSD), to users across 70 global markets, a move expected to reshape how African businesses receive and move money internationally.

The expansion, announced from San Jose, California on May 26, positions Africa among the company’s strategic growth frontiers as demand rises for faster, cheaper and more reliable cross-border payment systems.

For Ugandan businesses, freelancers and online entrepreneurs, the development could ease one of the longest-standing frustrations in digital commerce: getting paid on time.

From software developers and remote workers to coffee exporters, online traders and creative professionals, many Ugandans operating in global markets have traditionally faced delayed settlements, high bank charges and costly currency conversion fees when receiving international payments.

The introduction of PYUSD now allows users to buy, hold, send and receive digital dollars directly through PayPal accounts, significantly reducing settlement times that often stretch from several days to weeks under conventional banking systems.

The company says the rollout is designed to modernise an international payments system that many businesses increasingly view as outdated and inefficient in an era of real-time digital commerce.

According to May Zabaneh, the current global financial infrastructure no longer reflects the speed at which modern businesses operate.

“Consumers and businesses around the world are looking for faster, more seamless ways to transact globally and the current system still charges too much, takes too long, and settles on timelines that were designed for a different era,” Zabaneh said during the announcement.

She added that expanding PYUSD access would help consumers access funds faster while lowering the cost of transferring money across borders.

Africa featured prominently in PayPal’s expansion strategy, with company executives describing the continent as one of the world’s fastest-growing digital commerce markets.

Otto Williams said the rollout is intended to support businesses driving growth across African economies.

“Bringing PYUSD to Africa is about delivering tangible value to the people and businesses driving growth in these dynamic markets,” Williams said.

“Consumers gain a flexible, stable way to move funds faster, while businesses can streamline cross-border payments, improve settlement times, and unlock new opportunities for growth.”

The move comes as Uganda’s digital economy continues to expand rapidly, driven by rising internet penetration, mobile money adoption and a growing number of young people working remotely for international clients.

Industry analysts say stablecoins are becoming increasingly attractive because they combine the speed and flexibility of blockchain technology with the stability of traditional currencies such as the US dollar.

Unlike volatile cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, PYUSD is fully backed by U.S. dollar deposits, Treasury securities and cash equivalents. The stablecoin is issued by Paxos Trust Company under U.S. financial regulations.

For Uganda’s growing freelance workforce, the development could provide quicker access to overseas earnings at a time when digital labour exports are becoming an increasingly important source of income for young professionals.

Technology startups, tourism operators, agribusiness exporters and e-commerce traders are also expected to benefit from lower transaction costs and faster international settlements.

Financial technology experts believe the rollout reflects growing international confidence in Africa’s digital payments future as global firms increasingly position themselves around the continent’s expanding online economy.

The expansion also highlights the broader shift underway in global finance, where digital assets and blockchain-based payment systems are gradually moving from speculative investments into mainstream commercial infrastructure.

The post PayPal expands digital dollar to Africa in boost for Uganda’s cross-border trade appeared first on 256 Business News.

Uganda has exported its first consignment of chilled cut meat to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, marking a new step in the country’s efforts to expand value-added agricultural exports to Middle Eastern markets.

The 2,500-kilogram shipment departed Entebbe International Airport aboard a direct Flynas flight in the early hours of May 26 and arrived in Riyadh ahead of this year’s Eid al-Adha celebrations, a peak consumption period for meat products across the Gulf region.

The export was facilitated by Jet Fresh Cargo in partnership with Nakasongola-based Pearl Meat Industries.

Industry players say the shipment is significant because it moves Uganda beyond exporting full animal carcasses toward higher-value processed meat products packaged to international retail standards.

Unlike previous exports, the latest consignment consisted of portioned chilled meat packed in cartons.

“This is the first time we are exporting Ugandan meat packed in cartons,” said Wail Dagash, Managing Director of Jet Fresh Cargo.

“It may appear like a small adjustment, but it is a significant step in the right direction for value addition and demonstrates the adaptability of Pearl Meat Industries in responding to the requirements of the Middle Eastern market,” he added.

The development comes slightly over a year since Flynas launched direct passenger flights between Entebbe and Saudi Arabia, creating faster cargo connections for Ugandan exporters targeting Gulf markets. Each flight can offer up to 3.5 tons of cargo capacity, which translates into 10.5 tons of freight to Saudi Arabia weekly.

According to Jet Fresh Cargo, the direct Entebbe-Riyadh route has significantly reduced transit times for perishable exports.

Previously, shipments to Saudi Arabia often passed through multiple transit airports, extending delivery times to as much as 15 hours. The direct route now cuts the journey to roughly four hours.

Dagash said the shorter transit period is particularly important for chilled meat exports, which typically have a shelf life of about 14 days.

“Every hour counts because reduced transit time means extended shelf life and better product quality upon arrival,” he said.

Uganda’s livestock sector has increasingly been seeking access to higher-value export markets as the country attempts to diversify export earnings beyond traditional commodities.

The Middle East remains one of the largest importers of halal meat globally, creating opportunities for East African suppliers with certified processing facilities and efficient cold chain logistics. Pearl Meat Industries has secured all relevant Halal certifications and  indemnities for its for meat exports into Saudi Arabia.

Jet Fresh Cargo says it has already handled more than 500,000 kilograms of Ugandan fresh produce exports to Saudi Arabia since the launch of the direct Flynas route.

The exports include fruits, vegetables, fish fillets and other perishable products sourced from Ugandan producers.

Industry stakeholders say improved air connectivity is gradually strengthening Uganda’s competitiveness in time-sensitive agricultural exports where freshness and delivery speed are critical.

The latest shipment also highlights growing investment in cold chain logistics and agro-processing infrastructure needed to support Uganda’s export diversification agenda.

Jet Fresh Cargo has positioned itself as a logistics provider for Uganda’s perishables export sector, handling chilled meat, fish and fresh produce shipments to regional and international markets.

The company is also the exclusive air cargo logistics provider for Pearl Meat Industries.

Exporters say expanding value-added meat exports could increase earnings for livestock farmers and processors while helping Uganda move away from dependence on low-value raw commodity exports.

However, analysts note that sustained growth in the sector will depend on Uganda’s ability to maintain international sanitary standards, improve processing capacity and strengthen refrigerated transport infrastructure.

The post Uganda exports first consignment of chilled cut meat to Saudi Arabia appeared first on 256 Business News.

Uganda’s electric mobility sector attracted an additional USD 15.6 million in investment in 2025, pushing cumulative investment in the industry to more than USD 175 million since 2018, according to the newly released E-Mobility Outlook Report 2025 prepared by the Mobility Bureau under the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretariat in the Office of the President.

The report paints a picture of a sector transitioning from experimentation to industrial scale, driven by heavy public investment, expanding local manufacturing and a rapidly growing battery-swapping network.

Government investment accounted for 68.6 percent of cumulative capital injected into the sector between 2018 and 2025, underlining the state’s central role in building foundational infrastructure and de-risking the industry for private investors.

The report noted that public funding has been critical in establishing industrial capacity, supporting innovation and creating conditions for commercial participation in Uganda’s emerging electric mobility ecosystem.

One of the sector’s biggest milestones in 2025 was the commissioning of the Kiira Vehicle Plant, which significantly boosted Uganda’s electric vehicle manufacturing capability.

According to the report, Uganda’s combined EV production capacity has now risen to approximately 79,000 units annually, marking a major leap in the country’s industrial ambitions.

More than 20,000 electric vehicles were produced locally during 2025, representing roughly 25 percent utilisation of installed manufacturing capacity.

Analysts say the figures indicate substantial room for growth as demand for electric mobility solutions expands across Uganda and the wider East African region.

The report also highlighted major progress in charging and battery-swapping infrastructure, particularly for electric motorcycles, which are increasingly becoming central to Uganda’s urban transport transition.

Uganda quadrupled its battery-swapping network during the year to more than 540 stations nationwide, achieving approximately 80 percent district coverage by the end of 2025.

The rapid rollout is expected to ease range anxiety, reduce charging downtime and accelerate adoption of electric boda bodas and commercial fleets.

The report further positioned Uganda as an emerging regional exporter of electric mobility technology following the successful completion of the “Made in Uganda Trans-Africa Electric Expedition.”

The expedition tested Ugandan-built electric vehicles across multiple African countries and validated the technology for continental deployment.

According to the report, the expedition directly contributed to securing a commercial order for 450 electric buses, strengthening Uganda’s positioning as a regional supplier of e-mobility solutions.

Employment within the sector also expanded sharply during the year.

Direct jobs in Uganda’s e-mobility industry surpassed 2,100 by the end of 2025, while indirect employment linked to manufacturing, logistics, charging infrastructure and maintenance exceeded 20,000 jobs.

The report said the sector’s growth is increasingly contributing to industrial skills development, technology transfer and youth employment.

Financial performance among leading players in the ecosystem also strengthened significantly.

Combined revenues generated by key e-mobility companies increased nearly six-fold from USD 5 million in 2024 to USD 29.7 million in 2025.

Tax remittances by major industry players more than doubled over the same period, rising from UGX 11.7 billion to UGX 24.2 billion.

Officials say the figures demonstrate the growing commercial viability of Uganda’s electric mobility ecosystem and its potential contribution to domestic revenue mobilisation.

The report comes as governments across Africa intensify efforts to reduce fuel import dependence, cut urban pollution and transition toward cleaner transport systems.

Uganda has increasingly positioned electric mobility as part of a broader industrialisation and energy transition strategy anchored around local manufacturing, renewable energy and technology innovation.

Industry observers say the next phase of growth will likely depend on scaling private investment, expanding consumer financing options and strengthening regional export markets for locally manufactured electric vehicles and components.

The post Uganda’s e-mobility investment tops $175 million as EV production capacity surges appeared first on 256 Business News.

Android users who had pre-activated advanced security features such as SIM Watch could automatically lock devices if thieves insert a new SIM card.

Cybersecurity company Kaspersky has issued a new consumer safety advisory warning that losing a smartphone today carries risks far beyond the inconvenience of replacing a device, with stolen phones increasingly becoming entry points for financial fraud, digital account compromise and identity theft.

The company this week released a five-step action plan designed to help users respond quickly in the critical minutes after discovering a phone is missing.

Kaspersky said modern smartphones now contain sensitive financial, personal and professional information that can expose users to significant losses if devices fall into the wrong hands.

“In the routine of daily operations, it is easy to overlook how many critical aspects of our digital lives are tied to our mobile devices,” said Dmitry Kalinin.

“Losing a phone may lead not only to inconvenience, but also to data loss, compromised access to essential accounts, or even identity theft,” he added.

The company advised users to first attempt locating missing devices through built-in tracking services such as Android’s Find My Device or Apple’s Find My iPhone functionality.

Kaspersky users can also locate Android devices through the company’s “Where Is My Device” feature available via the My Kaspersky web portal.

Cybersecurity experts say device tracking systems have become increasingly important as organised phone theft networks target smartphones not only for resale but also for access to banking applications, digital wallets and social media accounts.

The second step, according to Kaspersky, is immediately placing the phone into “Lost Mode” and remotely locking the device to prevent unauthorised access.

The company warned users to remain alert for secondary scams in which criminals attempt to contact victims pretending to help recover devices while seeking passwords, verification codes or banking information.

“Your mobile phone can be used for calls or messages from your number with requests for money or questions, all of which should be ignored,” the advisory stated.

Kaspersky also recommended that users immediately contact mobile network operators to block SIM cards and notify banks to suspend cards or unlink accounts associated with the missing device.

Analysts note that SIM hijacking has become an increasingly common tactic among cybercriminals because many financial platforms still rely on SMS verification codes for account recovery and transaction authentication.

The company further advised users to reset passwords for important services and secure password managers to limit exposure in case devices are compromised.

Kaspersky said Android users who had pre-activated advanced security features such as SIM Watch could automatically lock devices if thieves insert a new SIM card.

The company also highlighted anti-uninstall protection features designed to prevent thieves from removing security applications from stolen devices.

Beyond immediate security measures, Kaspersky stressed the importance of regular cloud backups to enable recovery of photos, documents, messages and contacts.

“If you had enabled device backups before the loss, you can restore almost everything, from contacts and photos to text messages,” the company said.

Where recovery becomes impossible, Kaspersky advised users to remotely erase all data from devices using Apple, Google or Kaspersky management platforms.

The company also encouraged users to take preventative precautions before incidents occur, including enabling automatic backups, activating location tracking, setting immediate screen auto-locks and securely storing sensitive documents and passwords.

Analysts say smartphone theft increasingly overlaps with cybercrime as criminals target devices not only for hardware value but for the personal data ecosystems connected to them, including banking apps, authentication tools, cryptocurrency wallets and business accounts.

Kaspersky argued that proactive security preparation remains the best defence against the growing financial and identity risks associated with lost or stolen devices.

The post Kaspersky shares five-step action plan for lost phones as theft fuels fraud and identity theft risks appeared first on 256 Business News.

Uganda has launched feasibility and environmental studies for the 400MW Kiba Hydropower Project as government moves to avoid a return to the crippling electricity shortages that once constrained the country’s economic growth.

The proposed hydropower station will be situated at the confluence of the Kiba River and the Victoria Nile, roughly 35 kilometres upstream of the boundary of Murchison Falls National Park, placing the project close to one of Uganda’s most ecologically sensitive river systems.

Energy officials say rapidly rising industrial demand, expanding regional export obligations and surging interest from energy-intensive industries such as data centres are tightening Uganda’s electricity supply margins and increasing pressure for new generation capacity.

Speaking earlier this week during a stakeholder meeting at Amber House, Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa said the commencement of the Kiba feasibility study marks a critical step in securing Uganda’s future energy needs and supporting long-term industrialisation.

The move reflects growing concern within government about avoiding a repeat of the severe power shortages and rationing that characterised the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Uganda was forced to rely heavily on expensive thermal generation to stabilise supply.

Although Uganda’s installed generation capacity currently stands at about 2,094MW, officials say dependable firm capacity is closer to 1,450MW because of hydrological variability, transmission constraints and intermittency from solar generation.

According to data from Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited, peak system demand reached 1,337MW in February 2026, leaving only a narrow reserve margin.

Nankabirwa said electricity demand growth reached nearly 20 percent for domestic consumption in 2025 and 21 percent across the wider national grid, driven largely by energy-intensive industrial users including steel and cement manufacturers.

Officials also disclosed that proposed data centre investments alone have submitted electricity requests amounting to 887MW, adding significant pressure to future supply planning.

Uganda is simultaneously expanding its regional electricity trade commitments.

The country exported nearly 270MW of electricity to Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania in February, while Kenya has already requested an increase in imports to 300MW by 2027.

Government projections indicate Uganda could face a 40MW electricity deficit during the 2025/26 financial year, rising to more than 217MW by 2027/28 if new generation projects are not accelerated.

Officials warn that failure to close the gap could force the country back into costly emergency interventions including thermal generation and load shedding.

The Ministry of Energy estimates the financial exposure from power shortages could exceed UGX 416 billion in unrealised economic output, while additional thermal generation purchases could cost up to UGX 1 trillion and ultimately increase electricity tariffs for consumers.

Nankabirwa said while solar investments remain important, they cannot fully substitute stable baseload hydropower generation needed to sustain industrial growth.

“The country must move decisively to secure firm generation capacity that can support long-term industrialisation and economic transformation,” she said.

The Kiba project has been prioritised under National Development Plan IV and the ruling National Resistance Movement manifesto as part of Uganda’s broader energy expansion strategy.

Government is also establishing a multi-sector technical committee involving the finance, water and environment ministries alongside agencies including National Environment Management Authority, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited and UETCL to oversee implementation.

The committee will simultaneously coordinate the development of the Kiba, Ayago Hydropower Project and Oriang Hydropower Project projects in an effort to fast-track approvals and reduce delays.

Energy ministry Permanent Secretary Irene Bateebe directed the consultants to prioritise biodiversity protection and underground engineering alternatives during the study phase because of the project’s environmentally sensitive location along the Nile corridor near Murchison Falls National Park.

The feasibility study is being conducted by a joint venture of Italian and Iranian engineering firms, which officials say will assess the project’s technical, economic and environmental viability before implementation.

Current plans envision a 400MW run-of-river hydropower station capable of generating approximately 2,686GWh annually with power evacuated through a 400kV transmission system.

Engineers are also examining underground powerhouse configurations and alternative transmission routes to minimise environmental disruption within protected wildlife areas.

The Kiba project traces its origins to a broader hydropower master plan funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and completed in 2011, which identified Kiba, Ayago and Oriang as key future hydropower sites after the development of Karuma Hydroelectric Power Station and Isimba Hydroelectric Power Station.

Officials say the latest study has been compressed from 18 months to 14 months in a bid to accelerate delivery timelines amid growing urgency over Uganda’s future electricity needs.

The post Uganda races to avert future power shortages with new 400MW dam project appeared first on 256 Business News.

Ugandan businesses are coming under growing pressure to strengthen cyber security and fraud prevention systems as artificial intelligence-driven scams and deepfake-enabled identity fraud become more sophisticated across Africa’s digital economy.

New findings by Sumsub show that Uganda is among the African markets experiencing rising levels of digital identity fraud, underscoring the growing risks facing the country’s expanding fintech, mobile money and online business ecosystem.

According to Sumsub’s Identity Fraud Report 2025–2026, Uganda recorded a fraud rate of 4.7 percent in 2025, placing it among the continent’s most exposed markets to digital fraud.

Tanzania recorded the highest fraud rate in Africa at 5.0 percent, while Côte d’Ivoire saw fraud rise 51 percent year-on-year to 4.5 percent.

In Kenya, despite an overall decline in fraud levels, deepfakes already account for nearly 10 percent of fraud attempts, highlighting the rapid emergence of AI-enabled scams even in markets where traditional fraud is being reduced.

A similar shift is unfolding in South Africa, where overall fraud declined by 31 percent year-on-year to 1.4 percent in 2025, but deepfake-related incidents surged more than 269 percent over the same period.

Analysts say the data reflects a broader evolution in cybercrime tactics, with fraudsters increasingly deploying artificial intelligence tools capable of generating convincing fake videos, voices and digital identities that can evade conventional verification systems.

The findings come at a time when Uganda’s digital economy is expanding rapidly through mobile banking, fintech innovation, e-commerce and digital lending platforms, creating new opportunities but also widening exposure to sophisticated cyber threats.

Industry experts warn that many traditional fraud detection systems are struggling to keep pace because they rely on periodic software updates that can leave institutions exposed for weeks or even months before new threats are identified.

In response to the changing threat landscape, Sumsub has launched an Adaptive Deepfake Detector, a machine learning-driven fraud prevention system designed to identify emerging scam patterns in real time through continuous self-learning updates.

The technology analyses multiple layers of user activity simultaneously, including device intelligence, geolocation, IP addresses, biometric verification data and document authenticity checks, to detect suspicious behaviour beyond visual inspection alone.

According to the company, modern deepfakes have become so advanced that human review is no longer sufficient as a standalone defence mechanism.

“In 2026, the threat landscape has evolved, demanding risk management teams to respond with next-generation fraud prevention models,” said Nikita Marshalkin, Head of Machine Learning at Sumsub.

“Modern deepfakes can no longer be detected by the human eye, and decision-making should be based on multiple signal analysis in real time,” he added.

Marshalkin said the upgraded system combines advanced document verification, device intelligence and fraudulent network analysis to strengthen detection capabilities against increasingly sophisticated AI-driven attacks.

“That’s why we launched our upgraded Deepfake Detector, offering clients not just a tool, but rather an online learning system that combines advanced document checks, device intelligence, and fraudulent networks analysis to complement deepfake detection capabilities,” he said.

“When the price of failure is too high, a comprehensive approach to the increasing AI-driven fraud challenge is the answer we need.”

Cyber security analysts say the rise of adaptive fraud prevention tools reflects a wider industry shift toward real-time defence systems capable of evolving alongside increasingly dynamic threats.

For Uganda’s financial sector, the implications are that banks, fintech firms, payment platforms and online marketplaces need to rack up investment in stronger digital identity verification systems as AI-generated impersonation attacks become more scalable and difficult to detect.

Analysts warn that if businesses fail to strengthen cyber resilience, the growing prevalence of AI-enabled fraud could undermine consumer trust in digital services, increase operational costs and expose firms to regulatory and reputational risks.

The post Uganda faces rising AI fraud threat as deepfake scams spread across Africa appeared first on 256 Business News.

Uganda has officially launched an electric commuter bus service in Kampala, signalling a shift toward clean urban mobility and positioning the country within a growing regional transition to electric public transport.

The service, unveiled on May 3 by Works and Transport Minister Edward Katumba Wamala, introduces the first of five planned circuits in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA), with operations beginning along a bi-directional route linking Ntinda to City Square via Kampala Road.

Operated by E-Bus Xpress, a subsidiary of Kiira Motors Corporation, the system debuts with an initial fleet of eight electric buses and a target waiting interval of 15 minutes at boading points. The service also incorporates a fully cashless payment system, reflecting a broader push toward digitised urban transport.

The rollout follows a pilot phase in Jinja launched in December 2024 and marks Kampala’s entry into an electric mobility shift already underway in cities such as Nairobi, Kigali, Dar es Salaam and Addis Ababa.

Speaking at the launch, Katumba Wamala described the initiative as a cornerstone of Uganda’s broader economic and infrastructure strategy, linking modern transport systems to productivity, environmental sustainability and cost efficiency.

He said the transition to electric mobility is intended to reduce reliance on imported fuel while stabilising commuter costs through the use of domestically generated electricity.

“Every electric mile driven is capital saved from fuel imports,” he said, adding that predictable fares would shield commuters from volatility in global oil markets.

The government has set an ambitious target to scale the system nationwide by June 2030, deploying 1,500 electric buses across 14 urban centres supported by a network of 260 fast-charging stations.

At the centre of the rollout are the Kayoola electric buses, manufactured locally by Kiira Motors, a move the government says supports industrialisation while advancing energy sovereignty.

Beyond transport, authorities are positioning the initiative as an economic catalyst. The project is expected to create opportunities in areas such as service centres, park-and-ride infrastructure and mobile money operations, alongside a franchise-based model aimed at integrating informal and formal transport systems.

The Kampala launch comes as Uganda accelerates implementation of its National Development Plan IV (NDP IV), which targets rapid economic expansion and improved urban efficiency as part of a long-term strategy to grow the economy.

Officials argue that modernising public transport will be critical to easing congestion in Kampala while improving productivity and quality of life in one of East Africa’s fastest-growing cities.

The E-Bus Xpress system is also expected to contribute to emissions reduction in the transport sector, aligning with broader regional and global efforts to decarbonise mobility.

With the first circuit now operational, attention shifts to scaling the model across the capital and replicating it in other cities—testing both the commercial viability of electric mass transit and the government’s capacity to deliver large-scale urban transport reform.

If successfully implemented, the programme could redefine Uganda’s public transport landscape, moving it toward a more structured, technology-driven and environmentally sustainable system.

The post Uganda launches electric bus service in Kampala, targets nationwide rollout by 2030 appeared first on 256 Business News.

Uganda has taken a decisive step into the future of digital connectivity, entering the global league of ultra-fast internet markets with the launch of 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) fixed broadband. The development marks a turning point in the country’s technological evolution, signalling a shift from basic connectivity to high-capacity digital infrastructure capable of powering a modern economy.

The milestone rollout by Savanna Fibre Uganda positions Uganda among a small but growing group of African countries deploying gigabit-speed internet, as competition intensifies to build the backbone of the continent’s digital economy.

Announced today in Kampala, the new service reflects a broader transition in how internet access is viewed—from a consumer utility to a strategic national asset. Industry players say the availability of ultra-fast broadband will significantly enhance productivity across sectors, enabling businesses, institutions, and households to operate at higher levels of efficiency.

Speaking at the launch, Savanna Fibre Uganda Chief Executive Officer Alex Wanyoike described the rollout as a statement about the country’s long-term direction. He noted that high-speed internet must evolve beyond a premium offering into a widely accessible tool that supports innovation, enterprise, and inclusive growth.

The introduction of 1Gbps speeds is expected to unlock opportunities across multiple sectors. In education, it could enable seamless access to digital learning platforms and global research networks. In financial technology, faster and more reliable connectivity supports real-time transactions and data processing. The creative economy, remote work ecosystems, and e-government services are also likely to benefit from improved bandwidth and reduced latency.

Crucially, the infrastructure lays the groundwork for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and automation—areas that depend heavily on stable, high-speed data transmission.

The rollout aligns with Uganda’s broader policy direction under the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), which has consistently emphasised the expansion of quality broadband as a foundation for economic competitiveness and improved public service delivery. Regulators and policymakers increasingly view connectivity as central to national development, on par with traditional infrastructure such as roads and energy.

Savanna Fibre’s expansion comes at a time when demand for reliable internet is rising sharply, driven by digitalisation across both public and private sectors. Despite being a relatively new entrant, the company has rapidly scaled its operations, focusing on fibre-based solutions designed to deliver high speeds with consistent performance.

Company officials say the long-term strategy is not only to provide top-tier speeds but also to challenge the perception that high-quality broadband is reserved for high-income users. By widening access, the firm aims to accelerate digital inclusion and broaden participation in Uganda’s emerging knowledge economy.

Technology leaders at the launch underscored the importance of private sector investment in bridging infrastructure gaps. They argued that while policy frameworks provide direction, it is sustained capital investment and innovation that ultimately drive transformation in connectivity.

Analysts note that Uganda’s move into gigabit broadband could have ripple effects beyond its borders. As East Africa positions itself as a digital growth hub, improved connectivity will be key to attracting investment, supporting cross-border trade, and integrating regional markets.

At a structural level, the shift to ultra-fast internet represents more than just faster downloads. It signals a deeper transition toward data-driven economic activity, where competitiveness is increasingly determined by the ability to generate, process, and transmit information efficiently.

With the rollout of 1Gbps broadband, Uganda is effectively laying the foundation for that transition. The challenge now will be to ensure that the benefits extend beyond early adopters, reaching businesses, institutions, and communities across the country.

If successfully scaled, the move could redefine Uganda’s digital landscape—transforming connectivity from a constraint into a catalyst for growth, innovation, and national productivity.

The post Uganda breaks into ultra-fast Internet league with 1Gbps Broadband rollout appeared first on 256 Business News.

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus posted a sharp decline in first-quarter earnings for 2026, as fewer commercial aircraft deliveries and persistent supply chain disruptions—particularly shortages of Pratt & Whitney engines—dragged down profitability despite strong demand and a solid performance from its defence business.

The company reported consolidated revenues of €12.7 billion for the three months ended March 31, down 7 percent from €13.5 billion in the same period last year. EBIT Adjusted, Airbus’ preferred measure of underlying operating performance, fell 52 percent to €300 million from €624 million, while reported net income declined 26 percent to €586 million.

Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury said the results reflected a difficult but manageable operating environment.

“The Q1 results reflect the lower level of commercial aircraft deliveries and a strong performance in our Defence and Space division. The operating environment remains dynamic and complex,” Faury said, noting that Airbus was also closely monitoring the fast-changing geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

The aerospace giant delivered 114 commercial aircraft during the quarter, down from 136 in Q1 2025. These included 19 A220s, 81 A320 Family aircraft, three A330s and 11 A350s.

The lower delivery volumes pushed revenues from Airbus’ commercial aircraft division down 11 percent to €8.4 billion, while EBIT Adjusted for the segment plunged to just €81 million from €494 million a year earlier.

Airbus said the main constraint continues to be engine supply shortages from Pratt & Whitney, which are slowing the production ramp-up of the A320 Family programme.

The manufacturer said it still expects to reach a production rate of between 70 and 75 A320 Family aircraft per month by the end of 2027, before stabilising at 75 aircraft monthly. It also maintained its target of producing 13 A220 aircraft per month by 2028.

Despite weaker earnings, customer demand remained robust. Gross commercial aircraft orders rose to 408 aircraft from 280 a year earlier, while net orders nearly doubled to 398 aircraft after cancellations. Airbus’ total commercial aircraft backlog now stands at 9,037 aircraft, underlining continued global demand for new-generation fuel-efficient fleets.

Its Defence and Space division provided a major cushion during the quarter, with revenues rising 7 percent year-on-year to €2.8 billion. EBIT Adjusted for the segment climbed 69 percent to €130 million, supported by stronger profitability across all business units and rising global defence demand.

Order intake by value in Defence and Space nearly doubled to €5 billion from €2.6 billion, largely driven by the Air Power business unit.

Airbus Helicopters remained broadly stable, posting revenues of €1.6 billion with deliveries increasing slightly to 56 units from 51. However, EBIT Adjusted slipped to €65 million from €78 million due to higher research and development spending.

The group’s free cash flow position, however, deteriorated sharply. Free cash flow before customer financing fell to negative €2.5 billion compared to negative €310 million in the same quarter last year. Airbus attributed this mainly to the lower delivery levels and planned inventory build-up linked to production ramp-ups across programmes.

Its gross cash position stood at €25.2 billion at the end of March, down from €27.2 billion at the end of 2025, while net cash declined 19 percent to €9.8 billion.

Even with the weak start to the year, Airbus left its full-year 2026 guidance unchanged, signalling confidence that production will improve in the coming quarters.

The company is still targeting around 870 commercial aircraft deliveries for the year, EBIT Adjusted of around €7.5 billion and free cash flow before customer financing of about €4.5 billion.

Analysts say the maintained guidance suggests Airbus expects supplier bottlenecks to ease gradually, though risks remain elevated due to global trade tensions, tariff uncertainties and geopolitical instability.

The company said its outlook assumes no additional disruptions to global trade, air traffic, supply chains or internal operations and already factors in the impact of currently applicable tariffs.

With its order book stretching years into the future, Airbus remains one of the strongest barometers of global airline confidence. But the first quarter results show that even strong demand cannot fully offset production constraints in an industry still navigating post-pandemic supply chain realities.

The post Airbus profits slump as engine shortages and lower deliveries weigh on Q1 performance appeared first on 256 Business News.