TechPression

Tag: Ugandan

  • Uganda seeks Interpol assistance to track hackers, masterminds of BoU multi-million dollar heist

    Uganda seeks Interpol assistance to track hackers, masterminds of BoU multi-million dollar heist

    Ugandan authorities have asked Interpol to investigate fraudulent transfers of $6 million to Japan and $7 million to England, following a cyber heist in which $13 million (Shs 47.8 billion) was stolen from the Bank of Uganda (BoU).

    Junior Finance Minister Henry Musasizi denied allegations that 62 billion shillings ($17 million) was taken, stating that the actual amount was lower than what had been reported in the media when he was questioned by Parliament about the BoU heist.

    Read also: FBI arrests suspected Nigerian fraudster “Bobo Chicago” for $2.8 million business email scam

    Parliament queried junior Finance Minister 

    Joel Ssenyonyi, leader of the opposition in Parliament, urged Musasizi to comment on the current investigations at BoU, citing the government’s silence to an issue that has garnered attention from both domestic and international media.

    Ssenyonyi stated that a matter concerning the nation’s Central Bank should not be taken lightly. He called on the administration to keep the citizens informed about the true state of the situation.

    “It is important that we know what exactly is happening. This is our central bank,” Ssenyonyi bemoaned.

    Musasizi responded that the Auditor General and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) were investigating the matter and promised that updates would be provided to Parliament within a month.

    Setting the records straight 

    Musasizi also denied allegations that more than 60 billion shillings was stolen, stating that the amount was lower than what the media reported.

    “It is true our accounts were hacked into but not to the extent of what is being reported,” Musasizi told lawmakers.

    However, he refrained from specifying the exact amount stolen, insisting that the loss resulted from hacking by unidentified individuals.

    “I wish to seek the indulgence of this house that we be patient when the audit is finalised… and also CID finalises its Investigations, I will come to this House and report. Otherwise, as of now, any matter that I disclose on this issue will risk representation of facts. All these processes will be completed within one month and I will report back to the House,” the minister explained.

    Read also: Hackers stole $17 million from Bank of Uganda, incident under investigation

    Japan declines to block stolen funds

    The stolen money, believed to be $13 million (Shs47.8 billion) as against the earlier media report of $17 million, is being investigated by the Auditor General and Criminal Investigations Department (CID) with preliminary findings pointing to an insider plot rather than external breach involving officials from the Bank of Uganda and Ministry of Finance Treasury department.

    https://techpression.com/investigation-reveals-bank-of-uganda-heist-is-an-insider-job

    However the Japanese bank where part of the money was transferred to has declined to freeze the account as requested by Ugandan authorities, whereas the English bank has blocked the transferred monies (around Shs 400 million has already been withdrawn).

    This cyber heist is one of the most significant financial breaches suffered by the Bank of Uganda (BoU) in Uganda’s history.

    17 officials under investigation 

    Nine BOU employees, six finance employees, and two accountant general employees are among the 17 people who have reportedly been investigated thus far.

    Five of them are reportedly being held by Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS) and Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) at the former Special Investigation Division (SID) offices in Kireka, Kampala.

    According to reports, all employees who have been the subject of an investigation have been placed under strict security supervision, and the investigative team has seized their electronic devices, including computers and smartphones to aid their investigation.

  • The Ugandan duo behind Innovative AI tool 

    The Ugandan duo behind Innovative AI tool 

    Martin Lubowa and Moreen Irungu are two talented Ugandan techies who won the second prize of 1000 euros at the Tunga AI Hackathon in November 2023.

    They are the ones behind StartRight, an AI tool that makes it easier for engineers working on new projects to set up their systems.

    The pair worked together on a USSD application for health education during a prior hackathon in 2022. Martin was motivated to explore AI by Kalebu G, their mentor. Since then, they have collaborated on a number of initiatives that have made use of their varied technological and skill sets.

    Working with Python, Django, Flask, JavaScript, Node, PHP, Laravel, Rust-Actix, Docker, Kubernetes, PyTorch, and TensorFlow, Martin is a full-stack software and AI/ML engineer. He is now working on a telemedicine firm in Cameroon that intends to give millions of people in the Sahel region access to healthcare.

    Bioinformatician Moreen uses R and Python in her work. She has a strong commitment to improving public health outcomes through technology.

    Read also: Mastercard, illicocash to launch virtual card program in DRC

    The Experience of Hackathons

    Martin shared the Tunga AI Hackathon opportunity with Moreen after finding it on LinkedIn. They chose to take on the assignment since it piqued their interest. A few days prior to the hackathon, they had the concept for StartRight and made considerable mental and intellectual preparations.

    The development stage was a demanding and engrossing process. As they devoted all of their efforts to the project, sleep became a luxury. The laborious and time-consuming processes of making project folders, files, dependencies, configurations, and documentation were automated by using AI. To add more features and functionalities, they also integrated a number of other APIs and services.

    They pleased the judges with their creative idea and managed to finish and turn in their assignment on time. They got compliments and helpful recommendations about how to get better. They were overjoyed to take home second place and appreciative of the chance to demonstrate their abilities and originality.

    The Goals of StartRight

    The goal of the tool StartRight is to increase the productivity and enjoyment of development for developers. It lessens the cognitive load and complexity involved while addressing frequent pain points related to the project’s beginning. It enables developers to produce excellent work by concentrating on the essential elements of their projects.

    The group intends to keep working on StartRight in order to enhance its functionality and features. They also intend to share it with the larger development community in order to get comments and assistance. They think StartRight has the potential to grow into a well-liked and practical resource for developers of all skill levels and experiences.

    They also hope to encourage other techies in Africa to study AI and apply it to a better society. They are honoured to represent Africa and Uganda in the international AI community and to showcase the creativity and talent found there. They appreciate Tunga setting up the hackathon and introducing them to the AI tech industry.

    About Tunga

    Through the portal Tunga, African software professionals can find global clients in need of their knowledge and abilities. Tunga connects developers with respectable, varied projects and assists businesses in assembling software teams from over eight African nations with competent and trustworthy engineers. In addition, Tunga hosts hackathons and offers educational materials to developers who wish to study artificial intelligence and apply it to a better society.

  • 3 Ugandan healthcare firms secures WiNFUND funding

    3 Ugandan healthcare firms secures WiNFUND funding

    Reckitt has named the six finalists for its WiNFUND project, a non-profit that helps women in Africa create health ideas that make a difference in the real world. Uganda had three of the six African Startups that were named.

    The startups were chosen because they could make a big difference in the healthcare industry. During a 12-month acceleration, they will get money and help from mentors.

    Read also: African-focused P1 Ventures closes $25m AI fund

    The Selected Ugandan Startups are listed below;

    CHIL AI Lab Group is a company co-founded by Shamim Nabuuma Kaliisa that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to help women in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, no matter where they live or how much money they have, prevent and manage chronic diseases in a way that has been proven to work by doctors.

    The team is made up of experts in AI, healthcare, and business who want to make a big difference in the lives of women. They are dedicated to promoting health equity and making sustainable healthcare solutions that can be scaled up to help more women.

    Recently, the CHIL AI team has been working on expanding its hub-and-spoke telemedicine model, which is expected to have a significant effect on the African healthcare business. This product aims to connect Africa’s healthcare system, which is not connected, to rare resources like doctors, pharmacies, and modern labs, among other things.

    Peleyta Health is a flexible, cheap, and easy-to-use financial technology that helps low-income people save for and pay for quality healthcare anywhere and anytime through a digital platform for healthcare micro-savings and loans.

    MamaOpe Medicals is a device and software company based in Uganda that creates new ways for people in places with few resources to get better healthcare.

    Famasi Africa from Nigeria, Ambulex Solutions from Kenya, and Cape Bio Pharms from South Africa are the other African startups that will get help.

    Nigerian CEOs, UN women launch $25 Million GBV fund

    WiNFUND empowers female health entrepreneurs

    WiNFUND helps female-led health startups make a difference in the real world in a unique way. They bring together grassroots movements, new technology, and the understanding of people on the front lines.

    They use innovative NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and standard ways to raise money for these projects. This project is an excellent example of how technology and new ideas can help society, especially in the healthcare field. This industry is essential for any country’s growth and development.

    WiNFUND gives women businesses more power by giving money to their health-related startups. By doing this, they give these women the tools they need to deal with complicated health problems, make jobs, and make a difference in their communities.

  • Roke Telkom and GX India to reform Uganda’s internet

    Roke Telkom and GX India to reform Uganda’s internet

    The partnership between Roke Telkom and GX Group is likely to change the digital environment in Uganda in a big way.

    In a move that will go down in history, the largest telecoms company in the world, Roke Telkom, and the largest provider of network solutions in the world, GX Group from India, have joined forces. 

    This strategic alliance is about to usher in a period of notable improvement in internet affordability and accessibility within the borders of Uganda.

    Roke Telkom and GX Group are ready to help Ugandan users have a better internet experience by releasing a cutting-edge set of affordable Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) devices. This will keep the telecommunications industry on the cutting edge of innovation and progress.

    On August 17, 2023, GX Group and Roke Telkom announced their agreement at a press conference in Kampala.

    During the news conference, Roger Sekaziga, the CEO of Roke Telkom, stressed that his company serves both urban and rural areas as a local organization that uses Fibre to the Home and a mix of Fibre and Fixed Wireless Networks.

    Read also: Moniepoint expands frontiers to retail banking

    GX India and Roke Telkom supply Uganda’s internet.

    In order to provide connectivity to underserved regions of Uganda, he continued, their goal is to assure equitable access to broadband.

    “Our main worry has been the high cost of putting in place fibre technology, which would keep people with low incomes from getting high-speed internet. As Sekaziga said, we think that working with GX India will make the switch from fixed wireless to fibre faster and cheaper. This will allow fibre lines to be brought to homes that only have wireless Internet access now.

    He also said that by teaming up with a big player like GX India, they will be able to lower the cost of the tools needed for fibre services. This will allow them to bring high-speed internet to more places than they can now.

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    GX India offers Uganda innovative solutions.

    Innovative goods from GX India are sent to Uganda. These include AI-based optical network terminals and software, ongoing remote technical support, and more. As part of the deal, GX India will provide security measures for network devices, specialized solutions, and customization options like screen printing and changing the Graphic User Interface (GUI) page.

    Ashu Gupta, Senior Manager of GX Group-India and Africa, praised Roke Telkom’s ongoing efforts to improve internet access in Uganda. He also emphasized that their goal is to use GX India’s experience to provide revolutionary services and solutions.

    Edwin Kyambadde Musoke, the CFO of Roke Telkom, was confident in the alliance and said that they hope to bring about good change and help Uganda’s telecommunications industry grow by combining their local expertise and network infrastructure with that of GX India.

    GX Group was the first company to offer fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) solutions, and it has been developing FTTH products on a global scale for more than 20 years.

    This partnership between Roke Telkom and GX India is in line with Roke Telkom’s plans to give many Ugandans cheap, high-speed internet access through mobile, broadband, fibre, and satellite networks.

    This bold move marks a new stage in the country’s technological development. Internet access is expected to break down hurdles, boost socioeconomic growth, and give people more control over their digital lives.