House of Seshat

“Balancing innovation and compliance is one of the biggest challenges.” A line from @cipesaug’s #FIFAfrica25 discussions that stayed with us while writing this reflection on Uganda’s #AI Strategy, #DPI gaps and why Africa needs transformative innovation policy. Read the detailed reflection on our Substack here: open.substack.com/pub/houseofses…

.@houseofseshat_’s report on #Uganda's digital #democracy draws on close to one million SM posts & ten weeks of #digital ethnography to map: who is speaking, who is only watching, who controls debate, and what happens when govt switches the internet off. houseofseshat.com/democracyinthe…

Memes, shutdowns and Museveni’s seventh term independent.co.ug/memes-shutdown…

In the just concluded presidential election campaigns, a small group of Ugandan social media accounts were responsible for shaping and driving the majority of political conversations, while a more larger percentage of users participated passively through reposts, quote tweets, likes, or simply spectating without directly contributing their own voices...When compared to Kenya, Uganda's digital political culture seems far more cautious and reactive. @cipesaug @houseofseshat_ @UCC_Official @NITAUganda1 @africafoicentre @AgoraCFR

In Uganda, Parliament passes laws. TikTok passes the judgment Satire has proven particularly well suited to this environment bit.ly/4eNNGjE?utm_me…  #MonitorUpdates

For too long, Africa’s resources have been extracted, the value captured elsewhere, the environmental damage left behind. No more exploitation. No more plundering. The people of Africa must benefit - first & most - from the resources of Africa.

Uganda's 2026 election played out online as much as at the ballot box. DPI Fellow Ronald Musoke writes in The Independent, hinged on the House of Seshat's Democracy in the Feeds report, on how Ugandans reacted, reposted, and satirised political content in real time ,with visibility becoming political currency. Memes and coded language became key political tools, even as internet shutdowns tried to silence the conversation. Read Article here:tinyurl.com/5cddd7zt Read House of Sheshat's Democracy in the Feeds full report here: houseofseshat.com/democracyinthe… #InternetFreedomAfrica

Talking eDemocracy on NRG Radio open.substack.com/pub/houseofses…

Alongside the research report, there is a zine. Let Them Log On. Luganda. Luo. Runyankole-Rukiga. Kiswahili. Poetry, essays, citizen voices. Free to download and share: houseofseshat.com/democracyinthe…

Guess who is opposing Dangote’s proposal to build a 1.2M barrels a day refinery in east Africa (Tanzania, Kenya and Congo) World Bank and IMF. : ))) Their argument? it would give monopoly to one company over energy. 1) All the while, French refineries are in almost every oil producing countries in Africa. 2) No African countries could get a loan to build a refinery larger than 400,000 barrels per day (one of the most profitable businesses ever). So the majority are small and struggle for profitability. 3) Nigeria oil had to be exported to Europe, refined and in many cases sold back to Nigeria and ECOWAS countries, under companies like shell and total. 4) it took until a billionaire financed the refinery in Nigeria himself to change part of that production and supply pipeline. And today, after the Hormuz blockade, EU countries are now buying oil from Dangote.

Wow, this chap went to school🔥

I wrote a poem, and it's published in this report. You should read it.

We spent seven months inside Uganda’s digital public sphere. Nearly one million posts. Ten weeks in the field. One question: what does political participation actually look like when the platforms are shaped by power, the algorithms are partisan, and the state can just turn the lights off? Democracy in the Feeds is out now 🔗: houseofseshat.com/democracyinthe…

5 days. No internet. Election day was the 15th. When connectivity returned, activity briefly surged back online. Then, within 2days, the conversation collapsed. This is what a stunted digital public sphere looks like. We mapped it. 🔗: houseofseshat.com/democracyinthe… #InternetShutdown

This project has been a strong step in our work on Africa’s digital civic spaces. Appreciate the support from @cipesaug through ADRF. Keep an eye out for upcoming outputs from #eDemocracyAfrica with a focus on #Uganda

As we continue commemorating Women’s Month, we reflect on a powerful workshop we held with our friends at @WFD_Democracy on mis- & disinfo targeting women leaders. One takeaway: fake news often travels faster than the truth. Read more here: houseofseshat.substack.com/p/after-the-ba…

We analysed nearly 1 million posts across X, TikTok & Facebook in #Uganda. What we found about AI, elections & power is in @mailandguardian Read it here 👉 mg.co.za/thought-leader…

This is not crisis; Its an opportunity! Check out our position paper here 👉🏾drive.google.com/file/d/1K2Rckf…

This moment demands clarity, not nostalgia. 👉 Read our full position paper: [drive.google.com/file/d/1K2Rckf…] 👉 Watch the video breakdown: [instagram.com/reel/DPDoC35jO…]

Over the long haul: Center African scholarship in governance & development debates. Direct domestic capital into systems, not charity. Reclaim ideological agency. Strengthen citizen participation.

The sudden withdrawal of USAID and other donors has triggered panic across Africa. Programs paused. Jobs lost. Institutions shaken. Most are calling for a return to the status quo. We reject that call. 🧵