Uganda’s rural homes are about to get brighter. The State Minister for ICT, Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, launched an ambitious new project called Solar M7 on Thursday morning at her Kampala residence. This affordable solar kit promises to bring electricity to villages that have lived in darkness for generations while helping bridge Uganda’s digital divide.

Standing before journalists, Minister Ssebugwawo painted a vivid picture of the problem her initiative aims to solve. “For far too long, many of our people—especially women, children, and elders in remote villages—have lived in darkness,” she said. “Not by choice, but because they cannot afford the electricity that others take for granted.” The minister pointed out the painful irony that even in areas where power lines pass overhead, most homes remain unconnected due to high costs.

The Solar M7 project was born from personal experience. Co-founder Henry Lutwama explained how he and Minister Ssebugwawo discovered the true extent of energy poverty while distributing computers to rural schools. “We noticed children couldn’t practice what they learned because they had no lights at home,” Lutwama recalled. This realization sparked the idea for a simple, mobile solar solution that could power both education and economic activity after sunset.

The compact Solar M7 kit packs seven essential components into an affordable package: a solar panel, four bulbs, a battery with phone-charging capability, and other features to be fully revealed during the nationwide rollout. But this is more than just a technology product—it’s a potential game-changer for rural development. Minister Ssebugwawo described how the kits could help students study at night, enable small businesses to operate longer hours, and allow families to charge phones that connect them to vital services and information.

What makes Solar M7 different from previous solar initiatives? The founders emphasize its mobility and simplicity—designed specifically for Uganda’s most remote households. Unlike bulky solar systems that require professional installation, these kits can move with families and be easily maintained. The timing couldn’t be more critical as Uganda pushes for digital inclusion. Without reliable power, rural communities risk being left behind in the country’s technological transformation.

The launch event doubled as a call to action. Minister Ssebugwawo appealed to government agencies, international donors, and development partners to support scaling the initiative across Uganda’s hardest-to-reach regions. “This is not just a power problem,” she stressed. “It’s a poverty problem, a development problem, and a barrier to participating in the digital economy of our time.”

As Uganda works toward universal electricity access by 2030, Solar M7 could provide a crucial stopgap for communities where grid expansion remains years away. The project’s success will depend on making the kits truly affordable for low-income families and establishing reliable distribution channels. If these challenges can be overcome, Solar M7 may light the way toward a more inclusive digital future for all Ugandans—one solar panel at a time.

The initiative arrives as Uganda’s rural electrification rate still lags at just 28%, leaving millions dependent on dangerous kerosene lamps or simply going without light when the sun sets. Solar M7’s founders believe their solution can change this reality faster than waiting for traditional power infrastructure to arrive. As the kits begin reaching villages in coming months, they’ll face the ultimate test: whether this innovation can truly deliver on its promise to brighten Uganda’s darkest corners and power its digital dreams.

For families like those in Nakaseke district who currently walk kilometers to charge phones at trading centers, Solar M7 could mean the difference between isolation and connection. For students in Karamoja who currently do homework by flickering candlelight, it could mean better grades and brighter futures. And for Uganda’s development trajectory, it could represent an important step toward leaving no one behind in the country’s march toward modernization.

As the sun set on Thursday’s launch event, the symbolism wasn’t lost on attendees. In a country where darkness still defines daily life for so many, Solar M7 offers more than electricity—it offers hope. The coming months will reveal whether this light can spread fast enough to illuminate Uganda’s path to inclusive development. One thing is certain: for millions living off-grid, the wait for power may finally be nearing its end.