Training delivered to Uganda National Oil Company on AI Governance and its Application in the Oil, Gas and Energy Sector

Between 27- 28 April 2026, DIFA Consultancy in collaboration with Kampala
Associated Advocates, recently conducted a comprehensive four-part training
programme on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance for the Uganda National Oil
Company (UNOC). Facilitated by Ikran Abdirahman and Natasha Karanja, the
training brought together professionals from legal, compliance, governance, IT, risk
management, and operational departments to explore the growing role of AI in
transforming the energy industry.

The training programme introduced participants to the foundations of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) governance, focusing on the meaning of AI, the AI lifecycle, and the
importance of governance frameworks in ensuring accountability, transparency, and
ethical AI deployment. Participants explored key international and regional AI policy
developments, including the OECD AI Principles, UNESCO Recommendations on AI
Ethics, the African Union AI Strategy, and East African regional initiatives. The
sessions emphasized data governance, explainability, human oversight, and the
development of institutional AI policies and governance frameworks.

The workshop examined how AI can improve decision-making, monitoring, and
operational efficiency, while also surfacing the legal, ethical, and governance risks
that arise when AI is adopted without adequate safeguards. The DIFA team guided
UNOC through the development of an organisational AI governance framework,
including the establishment of oversight structures, risk assessment frameworks,
policy development, AI literacy programming, technical controls, and incident
response mechanisms.

Overall, the training underscored that AI is rapidly reshaping the global energy sector
and presents significant opportunities for operational efficiency, governance,
environmental monitoring, and strategic growth. However, successful AI adoption
requires strong governance frameworks, ethical safeguards, stakeholder
engagement, ongoing risk management, local infrastructure investment, and
continuous staff training to ensure AI is deployed responsibly and in alignment with
Africa’s priorities and values.