UAE’s Rowand Capital to acquire 60% stake in Uganda’s UTel

Yassas,

Victoria from Techpoint here,

Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

UAE’s Rowand Capital to acquire 60% stake in Uganda’s UTel
Grok fact-checks X, experts see risks
YouTube Premium users in Nigeria and SA to pay more

UAE’s Rowand Capital to acquire 60% stake in Uganda’s UTel

Uganda’s government is breathing new life into its national telecom company, Uganda Telecommunications Corporation (UTel), with some help from a UAE-based investor, Rowad Capital Commercial LLC (RCC), per a press statement. The plan? Turn UTel into a major player by handing it the reins to manage and make money from the National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI), the country’s Internet backbone.

Here’s the deal: RCC is coming in strong with an initial $25 million investment and plans to pump in a total of $200 million over the next three years. In return, the UAE company will take a 60% stake in UTel, while the Ugandan government holds on to the remaining 40% (split between the finance and ICT ministries). This could give UTel the firepower it needs to finally compete and make better use of the NBI.

But not everyone’s cheering just yet. Some members of parliament are wondering why the government wants to kick out Soliton Telmec, the current company managing the NBI under a 15-year contract. They’ve only got three years left, so MPs are asking: why not just wait it out and avoid the cost of breaking the contract?

The ICT Minister, Chris Baryomunsi, says waiting would delay the urgent investment UTel needs. So, yes, the government will pay Soliton a compensation fee, but they believe it’s worth it to move things forward now. Plus, the Auditor General has already assessed the cost, so it’s not a surprise expense.

Once UTel takes over, the government hopes to turn the NBI into more than just a tool for public agencies. The idea is to open it up to private sector clients, boost revenue, and push Uganda further into the digital economy. A new board is already in place to oversee everything, and a special bank account is being created for the new funds.

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Looking ahead, the ICT Ministry is asking for over UGX 205 billion ($56.281 million) for the upcoming 2025/2026 financial year to cover expenses and debts. They’ve got big plans: improving public service delivery through automation, cutting internet costs, and making sure all government ICT systems actually work together. Let’s see if this fresh partnership gives Uganda’s digital dream the jumpstart it needs.

Grok fact-checks X, experts see risks

Fact-checking has stepped up its game lately, especially with journalists like Mayowa Tijani calling out what he describes as historical misinformation — the kind politicians used to spread freely without fear of being caught. These days, they know someone will check their facts, so the lies have slowed down a bit.

But now we’re in a whole new era of misinformation, thanks to tech. With how easy it is to create and share content, false info is spreading faster than ever. And while fact-checkers are still on the job, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is starting to enter the scene as a fact-checker too.

Take Grok, for example, X’s (formerly Twitter) AI chatbot. Nigerians have been using it to verify stuff, ask questions, and even for jokes. But here’s the catch: Grok isn’t always right. It can get things wrong in ways that are not just funny, but dangerous. In fact, it once falsely accused NBA star Klay Thompson of vandalism. Turns out, his house was vandalised, not the other way around. But by the time that was cleared up, the false story had already spread like wildfire.

Here in Nigeria, Grok’s been asked to fact-check protest videos and other events, but it sometimes mixes things up badly. Lois Ugbede from Dubawa shared how Grok once claimed a protest video was actually an accident scene. So yeah, AI might be fast, but it’s definitely not foolproof.

Globally, this has raised eyebrows. In the US, state officials even told Elon Musk to fix Grok after it started spitting out false election info. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the government is focused on developing AI, but there’s still a long way to go with regulation. We’ve got strategies in place now, and groups like the National Human Rights Commission are trying to make sure AI doesn’t cause more harm than good.

For more on the risks of AI-generated misinformation and whether AI can really replace humans, check out Bolu’s story.

YouTube Premium users in Nigeria and SA to pay more

I don’t know about you, but I do not like seeing price hikes, especially when it comes to streaming platforms. So, imagine how my heart sank when I saw that YouTube Premium is going up in price. Yeah, the streaming giant just announced an increase, and it’s already hitting places like Nigeria and South Africa.

In an email sent out on Friday, April 4, YouTube told Nigerian subscribers that their monthly bill would now be ₦1,700. It used to be ₦1,100. The company said the bump is necessary “to continue delivering great service and features” and to support the creators and artists we enjoy. Still, that’s a pretty steep jump for a lot of us. I understand if you’re not affected by this price jump, chief reader.

Just a quick refresher: YouTube Premium gives you ad-free videos and music, background play, and offline downloads. It’s the YouTube experience without the constant interruptions. But now, that peace is coming at a higher cost, starting from your next billing cycle.

South Africa’s seeing similar changes. From mid-year, the individual plan will cost R81.99, the family plan will jump to R149.99, and YouTube Music alone will now go for R64.99, up from R59.99. It’s a small increase, but those little differences add up, especially with everything else getting more expensive.

And it’s not just Africa. In the US, some users who have been paying just $7.99 since the early YouTube Music days are also getting their first price increase in ten years. So it looks like Google’s coming for everyone’s wallets, regardless of location or loyalty.

This isn’t happening in isolation, though. Earlier this year, Google also raised the price of its cloud storage service — Google One — in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Egypt. Add that to the rising prices from Netflix, Starlink, and Microsoft, and it’s clear that the global economic squeeze is hitting tech services hard. Sadly, it looks like we’ll all be paying a bit more to stay connected and entertained.

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