Kampala — The Science, Technology and Innovation Secretariat has officially kicked off the Future Makers Hackathon 2026, bringing together some of Uganda’s most promising innovators to develop solutions aimed at driving the country toward a $500 billion economy.
The week-long innovation sprint, which began on April 27, will see selected teams undergo three days of intensive mentorship followed by four days of hands-on product development. Their final solutions will be showcased during the National Science Week 2026 at Kololo Independence Grounds.
Catherine Muwumuza, Superintendent of Support Services at Science, Technology, and Innovation Secretariat in the President’s Office (STI-OP), said the hackathon is designed to move beyond ideas and focus on building practical, scalable innovations.
“This is one of the strategies we are now using to quickly identify innovations that we can finance and support as STI—especially those that can lead to market-ready products or solutions to national challenges,” said Muwumuza.
The hackathon is anchored on the theme “STI Works — The Silver Bullet to the USD 500B Economy,” and focuses on five key sectors: transport and mobility, the gig economy and creative industry, energy access, inclusion tools, and sanitation.
Out of numerous applicants, only a handful of teams were selected to participate, with the top three teams set to receive Shs300 million each in funding support to scale their innovations.
However, STI officials say the funding model has evolved to ensure accountability and real impact. “In the past, one of the biggest challenges was what we called ‘grant-preneurship’—people would develop ideas just to win funding and move on,” Muwumuza explained. “Now, whatever idea you bring must lead to a product on the market. That is why we provide returnable grants to motivate innovators to build viable solutions.”
Under this model, innovators are required to return the funds once their projects become profitable, a move intended to encourage sustainability and long-term thinking.
Participants say the hackathon offers more than just funding—it provides exposure, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities.
Benjamin Ojede, an innovator behind the JUZA electric mobility platform, said the experience is critical for growth. “The most valuable aspect is the learning experience and the opportunity to collaborate with others to develop solutions that can help transform Uganda,” he said.
Ojede noted that his team is building a platform that enables electric vehicle users to pay for charging services, adding that emerging technologies such as electric mobility present significant opportunities.
“If we build around this technology, we can address key challenges affecting Uganda and Africa, including energy efficiency and transport costs,” he said.
Other innovators are focusing on healthcare challenges. Maureen Kisaakye Malinga, co-founder of Inpala HealthTech, said her team is developing a platform to connect small health facilities to larger laboratories.
“Our goal is to help address antimicrobial resistance, which is a global health threat,” she said. “This hackathon gives us a platform to refine our solution and potentially scale it beyond Uganda.”
Despite the optimism, innovators highlighted persistent challenges, including limited access to capital and slow adoption of new technologies.
“There is limited exposure, and that affects how we build solutions,” Ojede added. “With more exposure, we would be able to develop solutions that serve larger markets across Africa and even globally.”
STI officials say they are addressing these gaps through structured support systems, including mentorship, legal assistance, and market access. “At no point do we leave an innovator to struggle on their own,” Muwumuza said. “We walk the journey with them—from idea to building sustainable businesses.”
The hackathon is expected to culminate in the selection of winning teams whose innovations will be further supported for commercialisation, marking a shift in Uganda’s innovation ecosystem from concept-driven funding to product-focused development.