KAMPALA, Uganda – November 28, 2025 – The Uganda DNS Forum, in partnership with the Internet Society Uganda Chapter (ISOCUG), Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), NITA-Uganda, UGNOG, Infinity Computers & Communications Company Ltd (i3c), and ICTAU, successfully hosted the official ICANN 84 Readout for Uganda. The session gathered diverse stakeholders to analyse key outcomes from the ICANN84 Dublin Annual General Meeting , focusing on issues critical to the resilience, security, and growth of Uganda’s digital economy.
The overwhelming consensus was that the foundation of the Domain Name System (DNS) is now synonymous with national digital infrastructure and requires proactive, multi-stakeholder participation from Uganda.
- Key Policy Takeaways & Security Focus
Discussions led by Ms Gloria Katuuku (GAC Representative) and others highlighted several crucial policy areas:
- DNS Abuse is a Global Priority: DNS abuse is no longer considered a purely technical issue but a global governance priority. The community is increasingly treating DNS as critical infrastructure that requires proactive regulation and awareness of rights.
- The Multi-Stakeholder Model Reaffirmed: ICANN 84 strongly reaffirmed the centrality of the multi-stakeholder model, that is, involving governments, the technical community, civil society, and business, as the necessary backbone for strong DNS governance.
- Data, Privacy, and Law Enforcement: The session addressed the ongoing challenge of balancing data access requests (for non-public registration data) with essential privacy and data protection considerations, noting that the post-ICANN 84 period will be key in defining global standards for data access.
- Seizing the Next Generation of Domain Names (gTLDs)
Mr Allan Magezi and Daniel Nanghaka provided a detailed breakdown of the Next Round of Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) applications, framed not just as domain expansion but as a strategic opportunity for economic and geographic inclusion for Uganda.
Opportunities and Action Points:
- Financial Support is Available: The Applicant Support Program (ASP) was strongly emphasised as a resource designed to help institutions and communities from underserved regions (like Africa) overcome the significant financial barriers (the application fee is estimated to be over $200,000 USD) associated with applying for new gTLDs. Ugandan organisations were strongly encouraged to aggressively engage with this program.
- Expansion and Identity: The new gTLD round enables communities and businesses to apply for tailor-made internet addresses (for example, .city, .shop) to expand their brand outreach and establish a global digital identity.
- Readiness and Alignment: The final Applicant Guidebook has been approved by the ICANN board and is expected to be published early next year, serving as the essential 456-page resource detailing the format and benefits of the next round.
Universal Acceptance (UA) as a Necessity:
Universal Acceptance was presented as directly linked to the success of the next gTLD round. UA is an ICANN initiative aimed at ensuring all internet-enabled systems can handle Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs), that is, domain names and email addresses using non-Latin scripts (for example, Chinese, Arabic). The adoption of UA ensures that Ugandan businesses and communities can participate fully in the expanded Internet, irrespective of language.
- Strengthening Local Capacity and Resilience
Speakers emphasised the need to localise technical skills and enhance infrastructure stability.
- DNS Infrastructure Reality Check: Mr Daniel Nanghaka noted that Uganda faces challenges, including over-reliance on foreign infrastructure, limited local DNS expertise, and low awareness of DNS policies, which expose the country to service disruptions and economic risks.
- The DNS Academy Initiative: Mr Robert Tuhaise presented the DNS Forum’s proposal to establish a DNS Academy (that is, academy.dnsforum.ug). This dedicated initiative aims to bridge capacity gaps by delivering structured local training and certification programs on DNS, DNSSEC, and internet infrastructure, integrating global content from ICANN and AFRINIC.
- The Way Forward for Uganda: Key actions advocated were the national adoption of DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions) and increased support for the Uganda Internet Exchange Point (UIXP) and local caching operations to improve internet resilience and speed.
As the Internet Society Uganda Chapter, we urge all stakeholders, including government bodies, developers, the technical community, and civil society, to utilise these insights to inform national policies and secure Uganda’s digital sovereignty.