Ugandan blockchain founders, artificial intelligence innovators, developers, technology companies and investors are set to join thousands of technology players at the Africa Blockchain Festival (ABF) 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The three-day festival will run from October 15 to 17 at the Sarit Expo Centre under the theme “Capital, Code and Continuity: Building Africa’s Permanent Digital Economy.”
The event is expected to bring together blockchain and AI innovators, investors, financial institutions, regulators, entrepreneurs, developers and technology companies from across Africa and beyond.
Organisers say the festival will provide a platform for discussions, exhibitions, networking, investment engagements and partnerships as Africa’s digital economy continues to expand.
For Ugandan technology entrepreneurs, the Nairobi gathering presents an opportunity to connect with investors, developers, financial institutions and policymakers tackling similar challenges across the continent.
Uganda’s digital economy
Uganda’s technology sector has expanded rapidly, driven by widespread mobile-money use, a growing fintech industry, improving digital infrastructure and a young population increasingly involved in technology and digital entrepreneurship.
The Government is also paying greater attention to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and blockchain.
The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance is developing a National AI and Emerging Technologies Strategy covering areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics and other emerging technologies.
The strategy is expected to examine how these technologies can be applied in sectors including agriculture, financial services, healthcare, education, manufacturing, tourism and public services.
The developments come as businesses and governments across Africa explore ways of using emerging technologies to improve efficiency, expand access to services and create new commercial opportunities.
Virtual assets come under scrutiny
Uganda is also working towards a more structured regulatory environment for virtual assets.
The Financial Intelligence Authority has moved to bring Virtual Asset Service Providers within the country’s anti-money laundering framework, while discussions continue on the wider regulation and use of virtual assets.
The emerging framework is intended to support responsible innovation while addressing concerns around financial crime, consumer protection and the use of digital assets.
For technology entrepreneurs, clearer rules could provide greater certainty for businesses developing blockchain-based products and services.
From experimentation to business
The Africa Blockchain Festival comes at a time when blockchain and artificial intelligence are increasingly moving from experimental technologies towards practical commercial applications.
Across Africa, blockchain is being explored in areas such as payments, financial inclusion, supply-chain management, digital identity, public services and asset management.
The festival’s focus on capital, code and continuity highlights three issues facing Africa’s technology sector: access to investment, the development of locally relevant technology and the creation of digital businesses and infrastructure capable of surviving beyond individual technology trends.
For Ugandan innovators, participation could open doors to regional markets, investment networks and technology partnerships.
It could also expose local businesses and policymakers to developments in other African markets and create opportunities for collaboration on solutions to shared challenges.
A regional technology meeting point
The Nairobi event is expected to serve as a meeting point for Africa’s expanding technology communities, bringing together people working at different levels of the digital economy.
Founders can engage potential investors and partners, developers can exchange ideas and expertise, while financial institutions and regulators can gain insight into emerging business models and technologies.
Organisers are calling on Ugandan founders, developers, investors, technology companies, policymakers and other digital-economy players to participate.
With East Africa’s technology ecosystem becoming increasingly interconnected, the festival offers Ugandan innovators an opportunity to look beyond the domestic market and position their businesses within a wider continental digital economy.