For too many Ugandans, electricity remains a luxury—even when power lines run overhead. On Thursday, State Minister for ICT Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo launched Solar M7, a bold new initiative promising to light up Uganda’s underserved rural communities.
Speaking from her residence in Kampala, Minister Ssebugwawo unveiled the compact and mobile solar kit designed to deliver clean energy where it’s needed most.
At its heart, the Solar M7 is not just a gadget—it’s a grassroots movement for digital inclusion, poverty reduction, and community upliftment.
“This is not just a power problem—it’s a poverty problem, a development problem, and a barrier to the digital economy,” she said.
Lighting Homes and Changing Lives
In villages across Uganda, families remain in darkness because they can’t afford costly electricity hookups, even with power lines nearby. Minister Ssebugwawo emphasized that Solar M7 is tailored to bridge this gap—affordably and sustainably.
“Far too many Ugandans—especially women, children, and elders—have lived in the dark not by choice, but by circumstance,” she noted.
The Solar M7 home kit includes a solar panel, four bulbs, a battery with mobile charging capability, and more.
While the full list of features will be rolled out in the campaign’s next phase, the current version already offers a practical solution to energy poverty.
Born Out of Experience in the Field
Co-founded by Ssebugwawo, Innocent Kawooya, and Henry Lutwama, the Solar M7 initiative grew from an eye-opening reality: schools receiving donated computers had no reliable power, and students couldn’t revise at home due to darkness.
Lutwama explained,
“After travelling the country with the Minister to equip rural schools with computers, we found students went home to dark houses. That realization sparked the creation of Solar M7.”
The kit goes beyond lighting—it empowers. With the ability to charge phones and power small devices, it opens doors to education, communication, small business, and even health services in off-grid areas.
A National Call for Support
Ssebugwawo didn’t just launch a product—she issued a call to action. She urged government agencies, donors, and development partners to support the Solar M7 mission, framing it as a critical tool in Uganda’s fight for equitable access to technology and opportunity.
This initiative taps into the potential of clean energy not just to brighten homes, but to transform futures—especially for schoolchildren, mothers, and micro-entrepreneurs.
