We had to take a year-long hiatus as a result of the pandemic in 2020, so you can understand our excitement in putting together this year’s edition of Data Fest! It was a smashing success, and here’s everything that you need to know about what went down during the 2021 DataFestKampala event that happened on 29 and 30 April 2021.

For the first time ever, we held DataFest Kampala as a hybrid event; in the spirit of adhering to COVID-19 prevention guidelines by keeping physical attendee numbers low and allowing people to participate virtually through Zoom. …

Four years ago, If you had asked me to participate in a discussion about data, I would have shied away from it. Like many, we grow up believing that topics such as data, Artificial Intelligence, and machine learning are as foreign as anything else within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

Working with data, however, is like stepping into vast, unknown territory. At first, as was the case with me four years ago, raw data is puzzling to the eyes and to the mind. Such data is unwieldy. It is quite hard to shape it correctly for visualization.

A lot…

“Data is the new oil” is this simple yet very meaningful mantra repeated by the media and technologists in today’s modern world. Whether it is true or not is a subject of much debate; some believe it to be the gospel truth, while others are skeptical. That being said, the effect that data has had on our world today is undeniable. The sheer scale at which it is produced, and the seemingly infinite possibilities in which it can be applied for good, as well as evil, make it a commodity of immense untapped value.

The use of data has trickled…

In today’s digital world, the use of data has become a day-to-day business requirement be it in public or private organizations. Whichever industry or field one’s in, you always come across data either indirectly as someone who relies on decisions made from data or directly as the person making sense of it.

Data is a powerful tool and is the fuel behind the most efficient and effective decisions — it might be part of a study helping to cure a disease, helping to catch the spread of COVID19, boost a company’s revenue, make a building more efficient or provide a…

Every year since 2003, the month of October has been recognized as National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). This effort was brought to life through a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance.

This year marked the 17th anniversary of the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) and Pollicy joined alongside other organisations like Encrypt Uganda, ISOC Uganda, Digital Literacy Initiative, Makerere University, and others. The theme for this year was “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” …

How can one be able to detect misinformation, disinformation networks, bots, influencers, and other fake news perpetrators on social media to help fight the social media infodemic?

The growing number of social media platforms and users has amplified the fake news problem around the world. With access to social media, each of us has the ability to create and disseminate content to the masses in an uncontrollable manner. In addition to this, social media has become a major channel through which reputable institutions and high-status individuals or journalists put out important information to the public. For example in Uganda today, the ministry of health publishes information about daily COVID cases, COVID deaths, and other COVID-related information through their official social media accounts. …