Uganda police unveil AI-powered chatbot to enhance community service

1 October 2025, 4:58 pm

By Byamukama Alozious

The Uganda Police Force has launched an innovative AI-powered chatbot to enhance community service and provide professional responses to the public. Developed by the police’s Directorate of ICT, the chatbot is designed to interact with citizens, offering information and guidance on a range of policing matters.

“The chatbot is intended to facilitate interactions between the police and the public,” said SP Dr Kayongo Aisha, a senior police officer and press and information publications officer. “It works like ChatGPT – you can send a question, and it should be able to provide an answer.”

The chatbot is particularly timely as the country prepares for the 2026 elections, with the police aiming to uphold peace and security.

“We believe this tool will be highly relevant and timely,” added Dr Kayongo. “It will help ensure peaceful elections while maintaining security and order across Uganda.”

The chatbot will be integrated into the police website and potentially other institutional websites, allowing the public to access information and guidance on policing matters.

“It will serve as a first-line assistant,” said ASP Mafuko George, who works in the Research, Planning and Innovation ICT Department. “We hope to integrate it into other websites, so people can access this information even if they cannot visit the police website.”

The police are also exploring ways to make the chatbot accessible to those without smartphones, potentially via SMS.

“We are examining how feasible this could be,” said Mafuko. “We want to include people who may not have smartphones but still need access to this information.”

The chatbot is designed to provide guidance on managing events and incidents and can even supply contact numbers for relevant authorities.

“It’s a management tool to guide users on how to handle certain situations,” explained Mafuko.