Roland Ganafa

Biography

Roland F. Ganafa is a Ugandan AI practitioner, technology entrepreneur and Co-Founder and CEO of AI Studio Uganda. His work focuses on sovereign AI, African-language technologies, responsible AI, AI evaluation and digital public infrastructure.

He is a co-author of the Ugandan Cultural Context Benchmark Suite (UCCB), which advances culturally grounded AI evaluation, and contributes to the Uganda Open Data Platform. He is also a co-author of Crane Models: Pioneering Sovereign-Grounded AI for Uganda, a white paper jointly published by the Industry 4.0 Bureau of the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretariat, Office of the President, and AI Studio Uganda. The paper advances discussions on national AI capabilities, technological sovereignty and locally grounded AI development. He has also participated in consultations on the East African Community Regional AI Strategy, which identifies AI Studio Uganda as a flagship sovereign AI intervention for Uganda.

He has contributed to international discussions on AI governance and digital cooperation, including the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance. His interests include AI diplomacy, global AI governance, technological sovereignty, equitable representation of African perspectives in international AI policy, and ensuring that emerging AI technologies serve diverse communities and development priorities.