Build something Mbarara actually needs.

Two days in Mbarara. Pick a real local problem, form a team, ship a working prototype and pitch it to judges.

Dates
16 to 17 April 2027
Where
Mbarara, Uganda
Tracks
AgriTech to AI
Teams
3 to 5 people
Three participants working through a problem on their laptops at Hackathon Mbarara 2026
Doors open in
0days
00hours
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Tracks

Four tracks. One rule: it has to work for someone real.

Pick a track, then choose a problem you have seen up close. Judges will ask who it is for and how you know they need it.

01

AgriTech

Getting produce to market at a fair price, and running a farm with better information.

Market access and pricing, farm records, input supply, cold chain and logistics, climate-smart advisory.

02

HealthTech

Clinics, community health workers, and the people who pay for care.

Clinic systems, telemedicine, community health reporting, drug stock tracking, health financing.

03

Trade and Micro-SME Tech

The shops, market stalls, boda riders and small traders that make up most of Mbarara's economy, and the tools they lack.

Stock and sales records, mobile money reconciliation, supplier ordering, informal credit, group savings, delivery and last-mile logistics.

04

AI

Practical uses of AI for local problems, where it works on a cheap phone, in local languages, and with patchy internet.

Runyankore voice and text assistants, crop and disease identification from photos, document reading for SMEs, triage support for health workers, customer service for small businesses.

The format

Friday you form and start. Saturday you finish and pitch.

You do not need a team to register. Teams of three to five are formed on Friday morning around the problems people want to work on, and mentors stay with you for both days.

Friday 16 April

Kick-off and first build

  1. Opening and briefing
  2. Problem statements for each track
  3. Team formation
  4. Idea lock-in with mentors
  5. Build session one

Saturday 17 April

Finish, pitch, awards

  1. Build session two
  2. Pitch workshop and dry runs
  3. Panel: building startups from Mbarara
  4. Pitches: five minutes plus questions
  5. Awards and closing

Full programme with times →

What you leave with

A working prototype

Not slides. Something a judge can tap through and a customer could try the following week.

A pitch you have delivered

Five minutes in front of judges, with questions after. Most people never get that practice before it matters.

People who can help next

Mentors, organisers and partners who now know your name and what you built, and can open doors for follow-up support.

Last time

From the 2026 edition

Two editions in, the format is the same and the room keeps getting fuller. Teams, mentors, the panel and the awards from April 2026.

Partners

Organisations behind the event

Partners provide venue, internet, prizes, mentors and media coverage. Partner with us →

Registration is open.

Places are limited. Register now and we will confirm your spot before the event.

Tell people you are coming.

Make an "I will be there" poster with your photo and name, then share it on WhatsApp or wherever your people are.

Make your poster