Six East African nations closed a three-day digital summit in Kampala on Sunday with a landmark agreement to harmonise cross-border data rules — a pact officials described as the region’s most consequential technology policy in a decade.
The framework commits member states to shared standards on data protection, digital identity and cybersecurity, clearing the way for startups and banks to operate across borders without duplicating compliance in every market.
For businesses, the immediate impact is practical: a fintech licensed in Kampala could soon serve customers in Nairobi and Kigali under a single regime, dramatically cutting the cost of regional expansion.
Civil society groups welcomed the pact but urged vigilance on privacy, warning that shared infrastructure must not become shared surveillance. The agreement includes an independent oversight mechanism, a first for the bloc.
“Leaders from six nations closed the Kampala summit with a commitment to shared digital infrastructure — and a…”
Implementation begins in January, with a joint secretariat to be based in Kampala — a quiet diplomatic win for Uganda’s growing technology ambitions.
