By Ben Musanje
Former Makerere University Vice Chancellor Professor Venancius Baryamureeba has ignited a fiery debate on social media after openly criticizing a bold proposal by his fellow professor Lawrence Muganga to implement a nationwide “One Laptop Per Child” program in Uganda. Baryamureeba who owns Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU) described the plan as “outdated” and questioned its feasibility, warning that most rural households cannot reliably charge or secure laptops, predicting that over half of the devices would be stolen within the first year. He argued that Uganda’s immediate educational needs well-trained teachers and equipped laboratories, should take precedence over distributing digital devices.
Baryamureeba’s remarks quickly sparked a flood of reactions across X, drawing both supporters and critics into a heated debate over the future of Uganda’s education system. Muganga, in an open letter dated March 22, 2026, had urged President Yoweri Museveni to seize the opportunity presented by his recent re-election to implement a transformative, technology-driven education strategy. The proposal aims to provide solar-powered laptops to all 15 million school-going Ugandans, equipping them with digital libraries, academic resources, and offline educational content.
Muganga who is the Vice Chancellor of City Tycoon Sudir Ruparelia’s Victoria University argued that Uganda’s youthful population, more than 76 percent of citizens are under 34—represents a strategic advantage if harnessed through early digital education. He emphasized that equipping children with digital skills is essential to building a workforce capable of competing in the modern, global economy. The initiative is closely linked to Uganda’s Ten-Fold Growth Strategy, which aims to expand GDP from about $60 billion to $500 billion by 2040, and aligns with broader regional integration goals under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The proposal also drew lessons from Rwanda’s One Laptop Per Child program, launched in 2009. Rwanda’s program provided students with laptops and tablets preloaded with educational content and offline resources, successfully bridging the digital divide between urban and rural areas while enhancing student engagement and digital literacy. Muganga argued that Uganda could similarly leverage solar-powered devices and satellite-based internet, such as Starlink and Project Kuiper, to overcome infrastructure constraints.
Despite these arguments, Baryamureeba and his supporters raised concerns about sustainability, theft, and the readiness of Uganda’s education system to adopt such a sweeping initiative. Some commentators emphasized that schools already struggle with poor infrastructure, limited sanitation, and a lack of trained staff. Others questioned whether the country could manufacture or maintain 15 million laptops at the required quality, and whether operational costs—including repairs and internet access—had been fully considered.
Muganga responded point by point, stressing that the laptops would have built-in solar technology, eliminating reliance on inconsistent electricity grids. He proposed structured deployment through schools, device-tracking systems, and community accountability to minimize theft. He argued that technology amplifies the impact of teachers rather than replacing them and that early digital access would save resources in the long term by reducing dependence on textbooks and libraries.
First Lady Mama Janet Museveni’s trusted educationist Muganga also invoked historical skepticism toward innovation, referencing Socrates’ warnings about writing weakening memory, to illustrate that transformative ideas are often resisted at first. He urged Ugandans to adopt a forward-looking mindset, emphasizing that conventional methods alone will not prepare the country for the global economy or enable it to achieve ambitious growth targets.
The debate drew wide participation from educators, journalists, and thought leaders. Veteran journalist Conan Businge and law professor Jamil Mujuzi from South Africa praised Muganga’s vision, noting that it is not merely about distributing devices but about fundamentally transforming the way Uganda educates its youth. The Uganda Road Sector Support Initiative (URSSI) Executive Director, Dr. Sam Stewart Mutabaazi and others expressed skepticism, pointing to previous failed government technology initiatives, while citizens debated the balance between visionary policies and practical realities on the ground.
Critics argued that well-equipped teachers and laboratories remain urgent priorities, while Muganga’s supporters insisted that early digital access is essential to equip a future-ready workforce. The debate has highlighted a broader question for Uganda: should national education policy be guided by current limitations or by the future the country seeks to build?
As the discussion continues to trend online, one thing is clear: this is more than a clash over laptops. It is a national conversation about how Uganda can harness its youthful population, embrace digital transformation, and prepare for a competitive, knowledge-driven economy. The public debate sparked by Baryamureeba and Muganga underscores the tension between cautious, constraint-based planning and bold, systems-transformational thinking.
Ultimately, the question facing Uganda is not whether technology can enhance learning, but whether the country can afford not to embrace it. The clash between Baryamureeba and Muganga has ensured that the discussion of Uganda’s digital education future will remain front and center in public discourse for months to come. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
