“It’s very challenging to use those technologies, especially in areas where even there are no mobile networks for making phone calls, and yet Google maps that are used in smartphones need fast internet of at least 3G.

Google maps survives on data fed into it by humans. Now, that person in Europe managing Google maps, for example, doesn’t know anything or names in our rural villages, because it has not been captured into the Google map system.

Using those technologies here in rural Uganda can easily lead to someone getting lost and more confused!!!

This is why I urge mayors of new cities created in Uganda to at least label roads that connect the community around for easy location of places, even by visitors.”

Wrote James Opollo, in reaction to my blog post “Getting directions in Uganda.”

Indeed, I have often looked on bemused as I see people fidgeting with phones, computers, and whatever, you know the so-called modern “smart technologies” while they are in settings in rural Ugandan, where the smartness of those technologies is rendered null.

It even extends to cars that are installed with modern technologies, for example alarm systems. It is not uncommon in urban Uganda for our Sunday morning sleep to be rudely interrupted by wailing car alarms. The neighbour’s car alarm blares on for hours as the owner expects the rest of us to accept the lame explanation of “it has refused to stop.”

And you wonder the logic behind the decision of the executive and parliament as it was reported in Daily Monitor:

“The motion sought to have an additional minister of state to hold the portfolio of the Minister of State for Information, Communication and National Guidance. The approval comes after President Museveni told MPs he was considering appointing former Kasese Municipality Mayor Godfrey Baluku Kabbyanga as minister. The president released his new Cabinet list on June 8 but while delivering his budget speech, he told MPs that Kasese was left out of the appointments yet it is a key district he is keen on winning over from the Opposition.”

Really, how does this help?