Post Status:
Main Project Location: Kampala
Project country/countries: Uganda
Project dates:  –
Last updated: 23 March 2022

Brief overview of the Case Study   

Yogera (Meaning ‘speak up’) is an initiative working together with citizens and government to reduce corruption, increase transparency and service delivery from public institutions in Uganda. It is a community tool that fosters citizens and government to reduce corruption, increase transparency and service delivery from public institutions by exposing corruption and celebrating ethical and incorruptible persons in public offices. The platform seeks a common space where citizens’ challenges are heard and acted upon. A collective community voice, working together for a better Uganda.

The Yogera platform was born out of a partnership between the British Council, Indigo Trust, Hive Colab and MySociety to help communities develop tools to strengthen their civic ambition. Yogera is also used to highlight new bills being brought to Uganda’s parliament, to enable the public greater connection with politics and decision-making processes.

The challenge or problem

The issue was around service delivery from government and public officials from within Uganda and also to find a way how citizens can engage in policymaking by making their voices heard. So, all we wanted was to amplify their voices to the responsible duty bearers and also hold them responsible in areas they were not doing their best.

The solution that was implemented

Yogera under Hive Colab contracted me to lead this in Eastern Uganda then given that I had done the same with other organisations. So my idea was to develop a shortcode where citizens would air out their issues which we would then present to the duty bearers for action i.e. if one went to a health centre for medication and failed to receive that, they would then send a text message which was free to us then we would send to the duty bearers for action.
Yogera was the product of workshops designed to develop locally driven solutions to issues of corruption. Different Ugandan community groups, creatives and technologists worked together to design and build the site to respond to the local needs.

What technology was used?

What results were achieved?

A lot was done by the client (funder) but I am afraid the tools deployed were so hard for a rural person to adhere to due to the digital Illiteracy rates in Uganda. Unlike the urban folks who were so digitally literate. All in all, it was a 50/50 win in the long run, ideas, and voices were amplified then leading to meaningful policy making.

Lessons and recommendations

Key lessons were around digital literacy for these tools to be used, government policies in the rural areas need to be educated to the masses as most are not aware of their rights in regard. Key takeaway is that the population is still not aware about their own rights and who to approach in the angle of demand for better service delivery.

Case study images