CulturalFutures

Intelligent Infrastructures for Africa's Living Heritage

We build AI and data systems that treat African cultures, ecologies, and landscapes as living knowledge infrastructures β€” not as raw material to be extracted.

Our Vision

Decolonizing AI for tourism, cultural heritage, and biocultural conservation

African wildlife
Biodiversity Intelligence
Birds, fish, insects & medicinal plants
African heritage
Cultural Heritage
Spiritual landscapes & traditions
African landscapes
Sacred Landscapes
Living knowledge systems

Technologies

🌿

Biocultural Knowledge Graphs

Modeling birds, fish, insects, and medicinal plants as linked, biocultural entities connecting ecology, history, spirituality, and health.

πŸ—ΊοΈ

Tourism Experience AI

AI-powered experiences foregrounding African epistemologies through biocultural trails and acoustic heritage walks.

🦜

Species Intelligence

ML-based recognition systems for avian, aquatic, and insect species with cultural narrative layers.

πŸ₯

Medical Tourism

Ethical pathways combining certified clinical services with indigenous healing knowledge.

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Acoustic Intelligence

Models recognizing bird calls, environmental soundscapes, and ritual sound patterns.

🀝

Community Governance

Data sovereignty with community consent and benefit-sharing built into system design.

Our Principles

100%
Local Innovation
∞
Cultural Respect
0
Data Extraction
1st
Africa First

Meet the Team

A multidisciplinary collective building cultural & biocultural intelligence.

Collaborators

Dr. Yahaya Hills Kagali Sekagya

Dr. Yahaya Hills Kagali Sekagya

Traditional Medicine & Research Director

MD, PhD with over 45 years in traditional healing. Director of PROMETRA Uganda, researcher in African spirituality and traditional medicine, and advocate for integrating traditional healthcare systems.

Semusu Hayub

Semusu Hayub

Web Developer & Digital Solutions

Technology professional specializing in web design, SEO, and back-end development. Currently building digital solutions at Dipo Technologies to streamline everyday operations and workflows.

Investigators

Ggaliwango Marvin

Ggaliwango Marvin

Lead Engineer & Principal AI Researcher

Machine Learning and Intelligent Systems Engineer specializing in autonomous systems, responsible software, and AI research across quantum computing, digital health, and bioacoustics at Makerere University.

Prof. Okaka Opio Dokotum

Prof. Okaka Opio Dokotum

Deputy Vice Chancellor & AI-Humanities Researcher

Leading multidisciplinary research on AI and humanities, focusing on phonation-aware feature extraction for music therapy and culturally contextualized AI systems for African voice expression analysis.

Dr. Rose Nakibuule

Dr. Rose Nakibuule

Computer Science Researcher & AI Lab Scientist

Research scientist advancing applied AI and machine learning for real-world impact, specializing in computer vision, intelligent transportation systems, and AI-driven solutions for low-resource environments.

Rashidah Kasauli

Rashidah Kasauli

Lecturer & Responsible Software Engineering Expert

PhD in Computer Science and Engineering with research interests in agile requirements engineering, responsible software engineering, and AI engineering across various industrial sectors.

John Kizito

John Kizito

Software Systems Research Fellow & Lecturer

Research Fellow with expertise in software and systems engineering, medical informatics, and decision support systems, with extensive experience in both academic research and software development.

Nakayiza Hellen Raudha

Nakayiza Hellen Raudha

PhD Candidate & AI Governance Researcher

Specializing in intelligent distributed systems engineering and AI governance, focusing on algorithmic fairness, transparency, and compliance frameworks for distributed AI decision-making systems.

Dr. Edward Nector Mwavu

Dr. Edward Nector Mwavu

Associate Professor & Environmental Ecology Expert

Head of Forestry, Biodiversity, and Tourism department with expertise in plant ecology, conservation biology, climate change, and sustainable land management in African ecosystems.

Tech Team

Chrispus Ben Bwayo

Chrispus Ben Bwayo

CTO & AI/ML Specialist

Computer Science student and co-founder of TicketYo, specializing in machine learning, cybersecurity, and cloud engineering with multiple industry certifications.

Owor Wilbroad

Owor Wilbroad

Cloud & MLOps Engineer

MSc Computer Science graduate specializing in scalable cloud-native AI systems, MLOps, and deploying production-grade machine learning pipelines with Docker & Kubernetes.

Mark Alex Zziwa

Mark Alex Zziwa

AI Research & Applications

Software Engineering student who developed an explainable bird species identification system using multimedia AI for researchers and public education.

Tukahebwa Ritah

Tukahebwa Ritah

Software Engineer & Innovation Specialist

Software Engineering student at Makerere University focused on human-centered technology solutions. Passionate about transforming theory into practical applications through collaborative innovation.

Tech Member 5

Kyagulanyi Deo

Software Engineer & Systems Architect

Experienced software engineer specializing in scalable digital solutions across fintech, healthcare, and AI-driven platforms. Focuses on high-quality, secure software architecture that delivers measurable real-world impact.

Tech Member 6

Vvubya Drake

AI/ML Specialist & Data Scientist

Computer Science graduate specializing in artificial intelligence and machine learning, with expertise in computer vision, explainable AI, and applied ML for health and biological research domains.

Build The Future With Us

Join us in creating AI systems built in Africa, with African communities, and governed under African data sovereignty principles.

Get Involved