By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
MTN Uganda has announced
that 15 innovators and youth-led enterprises have reached the national finals
of the PachiPanda Challenge 2026 after the competition attracted more than 300
applications from across the country.
The finalists are pitching
practical, scalable solutions that address environmental challenges while
unlocking opportunities in Africa’s green economy at the #PachiPandaUG26
National Finals.
The evaluation process is
being guided by a panel of judges comprising Ramji Krishna of WWF Uganda,
Brenda Lamwaka of MTN Uganda, Dr Rebecca Mukebezi of Makerere University,
Joward Baluku of the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, and Phionah
Birungi of the Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation (TUNADO).
According to MTN Uganda, the
competition is showcasing how young Ugandans are leveraging nature, technology
and entrepreneurship to create environmental, social and economic value.
The company said the top
three innovators selected from the national finals will represent Uganda at the
Africa PachiPanda Challenge Finals in South Africa.
MTN Uganda said it was
looking forward to spotlighting the finalists and unveiling the top three
innovators who will advance to the continental competition.
