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Ugandan innovators have unveiled Okello, an artificial intelligence–powered robot tour guide designed to transform how visitors discover and experience Uganda’s tourism attractions. Developed by the ZunoBotics Foundation, Okello is being described as Africa’s first AI robot tour guide, built locally from the ground up.
This article explains what Okello is, how it works, and what it means for Uganda’s tourism sector.
1. What Is Okello?
Okello is an interactive digital tour guide created to assist tourists as they explore Uganda. It uses artificial intelligence to:
Communicate with visitors in multiple languages
Provide detailed information about Uganda’s attractions
Help document and preserve local knowledge about wildlife and culture
The robot is also referred to as the Gold Pearl Guide, reflecting its role in showcasing Uganda’s “pearl of Africa” heritage.
2. Who Built Okello?
Okello was developed by the ZunoBotics Foundation, an open‑source robotics and automation hub in Uganda.
Lead innovator: Jonathan Ssemakula, a robotics engineer with a master’s degree in the field
Team: Ugandan engineers and innovators working through the foundation
Mission: To apply advanced technologies like AI and robotics to solve African challenges, starting with tourism
The project was publicly presented during the launch of Miss Tourism Uganda 2026, highlighting its importance to the country’s tourism agenda.
3. Built in Uganda, for Uganda
A key point of pride for the team is that Okello is:
Designed locally – concept, design, and functionality tailored to Uganda’s tourism needs
Built locally – hardware and software development carried out in Uganda
Named locally – given the Ugandan name Okello to reflect its cultural roots
This makes Okello not just a technological innovation, but also a symbol of homegrown engineering capacity in Africa.
4. Multilingual Communication
One of Okello’s standout features is its ability to communicate in multiple languages and adapt to the visitor’s speech.
4.1 Supported Languages
Currently, Okello can speak:
English
French
Five Ugandan local languages (specific languages are not listed in the outline, but they represent major local tongues)
4.2 Automatic Language Detection
Okello is designed to:
Listen to the visitor’s speech
Automatically detect which language is being used
Instantly switch to that language during the conversation
This allows tourists from different regions and backgrounds to interact with the robot naturally, without needing to manually select a language.
5. What Information Can Okello Provide?
Okello is being programmed with extensive information about Uganda’s tourism resources, including:
National parks and wildlife reserves
Cultural sites and heritage locations
Historical landmarks
Local customs and traditions
Practical visitor information (where applicable)
5.1 Focus on Wildlife and Birding
Uganda is home to more than 1,000 bird species, making it one of Africa’s top bird‑watching destinations. However, many birds’ native/local names are not well documented.
Okello aims to help:
Compile local names and descriptions of bird species
Verify this information with experts and communities
Store it in a structured, accessible format
Share it with visitors in real time when they ask about specific birds or wildlife
This supports both tourism education and cultural preservation.
6. How Okello Enhances the Tourist Experience
By combining AI, robotics, and local knowledge, Okello can:
Offer instant answers to tourist questions about attractions
Provide consistent, accurate information in multiple languages
Make tours more interactive and engaging
Help visitors discover lesser‑known sites, stories, and species
Reduce pressure on human guides in busy locations, while complementing their work
Okello is not meant to replace human guides entirely, but to augment the tourism experience with always‑available, multilingual, and data‑rich support.
7. Future Plans and Deployment
The ZunoBotics team is actively:
Seeking partnerships and funding to expand Okello’s capabilities
Improving the AI models for better language understanding and knowledge depth
Adding more content about culture, history, and nature across Uganda
7.1 Planned Deployment Locations
If development continues as planned, Okello could be deployed in:
Museums
Tourism information centres
Major attractions and national parks
Cultural and heritage sites
This would make Okello a familiar presence across Uganda’s tourism landscape, offering a unified, intelligent guide experience in many locations.
8. Why Okello Matters for Uganda and Africa
Okello represents:
A proof of concept that advanced AI and robotics can be built and applied locally in Africa
A tool for strengthening tourism, one of Uganda’s key economic sectors
A platform for preserving and sharing indigenous knowledge, especially around wildlife and culture
An inspiration for students and developers, showing that high‑tech innovation is possible within local ecosystems
By demonstrating how AI can be used beyond typical sectors like agriculture, Okello opens the door for new, creative applications of technology across the continent.
9. Summary
Okello is an AI‑powered robot tour guide developed by Uganda’s ZunoBotics Foundation.
It is designed to communicate in multiple languages, including English, French, and several Ugandan local languages, with automatic language detection.
The robot provides detailed information about Uganda’s attractions, especially wildlife and bird species, and helps document local names and knowledge.
Built entirely in Uganda, Okello showcases local innovation and aims to enhance the tourism experience in museums, tourism centres, and major attractions.
The team is seeking partnerships and funding to scale and deploy Okello widely across Uganda.
