Mobile Monday, the global community of mobile industry professionals and innovators, has now launched its newest chapter in Uganda.

The Kampala Chapter was founded by representatives from Uganda’s telecom companies: Orange Uganda, MTN Uganda, I-telecom, Mara Telecoms, Universities, media and ICT firms.

At the inaugural meeting facilitated by Dr. Madanmohan Rao, the research projects director for Mobile Monday, the various stakeholders in the nation’s mobile and ICT sectors chose the name MoMoKLA for the Kampala city chapter.

MoMoKLA is scheduled to be officially launched on March 8, prior to the opening of the Digital Africa Summit 2010 that will be held in Kampala.

Speaking on the launch of MoMoKLA at Sheraton hotel on January 20th, Rao based in Bangalore, said the chapter would bring together stakeholders in the Uganda mobile industry to discuss new developments in the sector.

“What we would like to do is create a social movement that brings people together on a Monday of their choice,” he said. “The Kampala chapter in partnership with other global partnerships would help promote mobile start-ups and innovation in Uganda by bringing their founders and international venture capitalists together.”

"Mobile is affordable to many and can play a pivotal role in information sharing especially in developing countries. MoMoKLA will provide a platform to harness all the creative ideas,” said Natalie Kimbugwe of BDE Consultants at the founders meeting.

Dr Idris Rai, the EuroAfrica-ICT regional coordinator said Mobile Monday is definitely a catalyst for deeper exploration of mobile telephony and its impact to local developments.

Rao said Start-ups like MoMoKLA, can find partners, markets, and advisors, from around the world, which creates a good chance to tap into the expertise from around the world.

“There is a lot of excitement in the mobile industry about the emerging potential of markets like Uganda, and MoMoKLA is perfectly positioned as a hub for such discussion and growth,” said Rao.

The founders will gather again for their first thematic meeting on February 15, at the Orange Uganda office on Clement Hill Road in Kampala. The formation of MoMoKLA was marked with excitement and generosity as founding members pledged to support the chapter with several means to kick-start its activities.

Orange Uganda offered office space for the first meetings; both MTN and I-Telecom pledged financial and human resource support through sponsorships; Evolution Media pledged to provide the necessary media and public relations that the organisation will need. Members proposed that MoMoKLA be run as a Non-Governmental Organization or company limited by guarantee; this will be finalised in the coming weeks.

Mobile Monday, founded in 2000 in Helsinki, now has about 100 city chapters around the world. Africa chapters exist in Johannesburg (founded in 2009) and Nairobi (formal launch on March 11, 2010).