An African technology initiative to create open, practical AI systems for community benefit.
Kampala, Uganda
Joined October 2019
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SunbirdAI retweeted
How can cities move from collecting data to using it to govern better and strengthen local revenue?
Episode 7 of the #UrbanDataDialogues explores the role of data governance, GIS, institutional capacity, and sustainable data systems in improving city decision-making.
📅 29 Oct | 5 PM EAT
📺 Live on X & YouTube
Register here to join the conversation: undp.zoom.us/webinar/registe…
#DataCitiesug #urbandialogueseries
SunbirdAI retweeted
The DataCities Uganda Conference is coming up soon, and before it does, we are sitting down to talk about what it means for the future of data-driven cities in Uganda.
Episode 6 of the Urban Data Dialogue Series is your front-row seat to that conversation.
📅 23rd Sept 2026
🕒3:00 – 4:00 PM EAT
🎥Live on Zoom, X & YouTube
Register now 👇
undp.zoom.us/webinar/registe…
#UrbanDataDialogue #DataCitiesUg
SunbirdAI retweeted
Our Deepest Condolences
As @DataCitiesUg we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family, the @ObukamaBwaTooro Kingdom and the people of Tooro following the passing of His Majesty King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Through our work in @fortportal_city, we have been proud to partner with the @ObukamaBwaTooro Kingdom to promote tourism and highlight the region’s culture, heritage and opportunities.
We honor His Majesty’s legacy and his contribution to the people of Tooro.
May his legacy live on.
#MHSRIP
SunbirdAI retweeted
Webinar Invitation - Sunflower 2.0 -- Scaling Multilingual speech and text LLMs to 67 African languages, Dr Ernest Mwebaze @SunbirdAI Date: 3 September 2026 Time: 15:00-16:00 PM SAST RSVP - forms.gle/G6m3zsLUqxWKQPQW6
SunbirdAI retweeted
31 Ugandan Languages. 67 African Languages. Endless Possibilities.
@SunbirdAI's Sunflower already supports 67 African languages, including 31 Ugandan languages, helping ensure that AI understands the languages spoken across our communities.
This matters because @UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report (June 2026) estimates that 40% of the world's population does not have access to education in a language they understand. As a result, many learners struggle to follow lectures, participate in discussions, complete academic writing, and perform well in examinations.
Through this new partnership, RENU and Sunbird AI are working to bridge this gap by advancing AI technologies that make learning, research, and digital innovation more accessible in African languages.
Because when AI speaks our languages, it unlocks opportunities for more people to learn, create, and participate fully in the digital world.
@UnescoEast @Educ_SportsUg @MoICT_Ug @STIsecretariat
SunbirdAI retweeted
Advancing AI That Understands African Voices.
This comparison shows that Sunbird AI's Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) consistently achieves lower Word Error Rates (WER) across a wide range of African languages than leading global AI models. Simply put, it understands African speech more accurately.
That is why the partnership between RENU and @SunbirdAI matters.
Together, we are working to bring AI that is built for African languages into Uganda's schools and universities, making teaching, learning, and research more accessible, relevant, and inclusive.
When AI understands our languages, it creates opportunities for more people to participate, innovate, and thrive in the digital world.
@Educ_SportsUg @MoICT_Ug @nche_uganda
SunbirdAI retweeted
The numbers are in! #DSA2026Kampala is truly global!
Today, The DSA community has welcomed attendees from 30+ countries, with the highest representation from Uganda (261), followed by Kenya (60) and Tanzania (22).
Has your country been represented? Let us know in the comments
SunbirdAI retweeted
We're counting down to #DSA2026Kampala
In just five days, the Data Science Africa community comes together at @Makerere for a week of learning, collaboration, and innovation.
🌐 datascienceafrica.org
SunbirdAI retweeted
Last week, the @DataCitiesUg team was in @jinjacity to present our urban intelligence tool — combining GIS mapping with AI to give city authorities a clearer, data-grounded picture of their revenue landscape.
Instead of relying on guesswork or outdated records, the tool brings spatial and revenue data together in one place, helping city officials make informed, evidence-based decisions about planning and resource allocation.
@jinjacity's response was excellent, and we're looking forward to continuing this partnership, supporting the city's own data-driven approach to growth and service delivery.
This builds on similar work with @FortPortalCity1 earlier this year, as we continue to equip Uganda's growing cities with practical, data-driven tools for urban development.
#DataCities #UrbanGovernance #GIS #AI #EvidenceBasedDecisionMaking
SunbirdAI retweeted
Why does the #DSA2026Kla theme matter?
As LLMs reshape every field globally, Africa’s languages and data realities are still largely missing from the conversation.
“Foundational and Practical Data Science in the Age of Generative AI” is about changing that.
SunbirdAI retweeted
⏳ 3 days to go!
Every event leaves a footprint. The question is: are we measuring it?
Join us for Episode 4 of the #UrbanDataDialogue series as we explore how evidence can help us understand the wider impact of events on tourism, communities, and development.
📅 25 June 2026
🕒 3:00–4:00 PM EAT
Register now 👇
undp.zoom.us/webinar/registe…
#UrbanData #TourismDevelopment #DataForGood
SunbirdAI retweeted
Tomorrow is the day.
Join us at the #GlobalDataFestival2026 for the DataCities side event — The Urban Data Clinic: Resuscitating ‘Blind’ Governance in East Africa’s Emerging Cities — happening on 4 June.
We’ll be exploring how data can strengthen urban decision-making, improve service delivery, and support more responsive city governance.
See you there.
📅 04 June 2026
⏰ 4:00 PM
📍 Nairobi, Kenya
#DataFest2026 #KSEC2026 #DataCities #UrbanData #DataGovernance #DataForGood
SunbirdAI retweeted
From AI and space intelligence to urban planning and public service delivery, the conversations at #GlobalDataFestival2026 are exploring how data can solve real-world challenges.
We’re excited to be part of the festival with a DataCities side event: The Urban Data Clinic: Resuscitating ‘Blind’ Governance in East Africa’s Emerging Cities.
Join the DataCities team — Prof. Engineer @iBaino, Dr. @mmubangizi15, and Dr. @emwebaze — as we explore how emerging cities can move from blind spots to evidence-based governance.
📅 04 June 2026
⏰ 4:00 PM
📍 Nairobi, Kenya
#DataFest2026 #KSEC2026 #UrbanData #DataGovernance #GlobalDataFestival2026
SunbirdAI retweeted
We're excited to be part of #GlobalDataFestival2026 — a global conversation on how data and innovation can shape more equitable and resilient cities.
Our side event, "The Urban Data Clinic: Resuscitating 'Blind' Governance in East Africa's Emerging Cities," draws on lessons from @jinjacity and @FortPortalCity1 to explore how Uganda's newest cities are using data to improve service delivery and make better decisions for their citizens.
If you'll be in Nairobi, we'd love to see you at our session.
📅 04 June 2026
⏰4:00 PM
📍 Nairobi, Kenya
#DataFest2026 #KSEC2026 #UrbanData #DataGovernance
SunbirdAI retweeted
Many Ugandan cities struggle to track how waste moves through their systems — making it harder to plan, respond, and deliver cleaner communities. Episode 3 explores how data can help change that.
Join us for the next Urban Data Dialogue as we explore how digital tools, mapping, and citizen feedback are helping cities improve waste management and sanitation services.
Featuring voices from @jinjacity, @KCCAUG, and the @DataCitiesUg consortium.
📅 Thursday, 28 May 2026
🕒 3 PM EAT
📍 Zoom | YouTube | X Space
Register here 👉 undp.zoom.us/webinar/registe…
#UrbanDataDialogue #WasteManagement #UrbanInnovation #DataForGood
SunbirdAI retweeted
For years, @jinjacity managed waste with paper reports, rough estimates, and memory. No one could tell you what was being collected, where, or whether it was working.
Together with @jinjacity Authority, we built SafiSiti to change that. We mapped 1,496 waste collection points across two wards — every one assigned a QR code that creates a verified, time-stamped record every time waste is collected.
95% of those codes are now active, giving city officials a real-time picture of waste collection across the city for the very first time.
Read how we are turning @jinjacity into a proof of concept for every emerging city in Uganda 👇
medium.com/@datacitiesuganda…
SunbirdAI retweeted
We are excited to announce the DataCities Uganda Conference 2026! 🎉
For the first time, we are bringing together city leaders, policymakers, technologists, and development partners for a national conversation on strengthening city data systems in Uganda.
🗓5th November 2026
📍 Kampala, Uganda
🎯 Theme: Strengthening City Data Systems for Inclusive Urban Development
Save the date. More details coming soon.
#UrbanData #DataForGood #innovation
SunbirdAI retweeted
This paper, “Real-Time Spoken Instruction Following and Translation in Ugandan Languages,” builds a speech AI system that can take spoken instructions and respond in real time across multiple Ugandan languages, not just translating speech, but acting on it as it comes in.
Most speech systems are still slow and layered (speech-to-text → processing → text-to-speech). This work pushes toward a different direction: streaming, low-latency interaction where understanding and response happen almost instantly (~50ms-level response latency in parts of the system).
That shift matters in low-resource language contexts where real communication isn’t paused, structured, or clean; it is continuous, multilingual, and fast. This is a step toward AI that can keep up with how people actually speak.
Read full paper >> aclanthology.org/2026.africa…
@BenjaminAkera @wenjiehu198410 @Evyouma @Gilbert35075 @GilbertYig83649 @iBaino @emwebaze @johnquinn_irl @SunbirdAI
#EqualyzAI #AfricanNLP #AIforAfrica #SpeechAI #LowResourceLanguages #NLP #InclusiveAI #DigitalInclusion
SunbirdAI retweeted
Meet the speakers for Episode 2 of the Urban Data Dialogue Series: Boosting City Revenue & Service Delivery with Data.
Featuring @ChristineKayon2, @FlaviaZabali, Prof. @iBaino and @johnstonebk
Register here to save your spot 👉tinyurl.com/2fv82ydz
#revenue #UrbanDataDialogue #DataForGood
SunbirdAI retweeted
Uganda's cities have data. The real challenge is using it.
Our first Urban Data Dialogue session surfaced something fundamental — the gap between collecting data and actually making decisions with it.
Read the full article 👇
medium.com/p/5a47eed32f92?po…
#UrbanDataDialogue #DataForGood
