Dr. Drake Patrick Mirembe is a Ugandan computer scientist whose career brings together research, education, technology consulting and entrepreneurship. His work focuses on helping institutions and communities apply technology to practical challenges in education, agriculture, healthcare, business and public service.
Working across academia and industry, he has served as a lecturer, researcher, software developer, consultant, mentor and institutional leader. His expertise includes information systems security, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, data science, ICT integration, organisational development, innovation, strategy and policy.
Education and professional development
Dr. Mirembe holds a PhD in Information Systems Security from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, awarded in 2015. His doctoral thesis, The Threat Nets Approach to Information Systems Security Risk Analysis, investigated methods for understanding and analysing threats to information systems.
He also holds a master’s degree in Computer System Security from Radboud University in the Netherlands and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics from Makerere University.
His professional development spans institutional leadership, innovation management, research management, cybersecurity, ICT forensics, information assurance, wireless networking, satellite communications and mobile application development. He has also undertaken training in e-learning integration, network security, scientific writing and project management, alongside Cisco networking and instructor qualifications and the International Computer Driving Licence.
Academic career and innovation leadership
Drake works as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Networks, Makerere University and As a Professor of Computing Science at Nkumba University. Alongside teaching and research, he has helped establish initiatives that connect academic knowledge with professional practice, entrepreneurship and community needs.
He served as the founding Head of Makerere’s Centre for Innovations and Professional Skills Development and the founding Manager of the Microsoft Innovation Center Uganda, hosted at the university. These roles involved supporting practical skills development, technology innovation and opportunities for students, developers and emerging entrepreneurs.
In 2013, he founded the Centre for Innovation and Business Incubation at Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU). He served as the founding Dean of its School of Professional and Vocational Education from 2015 to 2017 and lectured in the School of Computing and Engineering between 2013 and 2019.
He also established and leads the Engaged Scholars Academic Network (ESCANET). His involvement in the network reflects an emphasis on scholarship that connects universities with society and encourages researchers to address challenges beyond the classroom.
Consultancy and entrepreneurship
Dr. Mirembe co-founded Eight Tech Consults in 2006, where he serves as Senior Consultant and Chief Technology Officer. His consulting work covers ICT integration, software development, cybersecurity, business process modelling, human capacity development, organisational development, institutional leadership, strategy and policy.
His assignments have included ICT security auditing and policy formulation for Uganda’s Civil Aviation Authority, ICT policy work for the Judiciary, the CHOGM 2007 ICT audit, university website development, curriculum development and network implementation. His technical experience also includes software development, network administration and IT systems security analysis.
He is a co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ClinicMaster International, a healthcare technology enterprise. His professional history also includes co-founding AfriFoods Uganda Limited, founding Precious Beauty and Vocational College, where he serves as a director, and working as a Senior Associate Consultant with Radix Management Consults.
His wider professional experience includes managing the Cisco Regional Academy and serving as chair for the International Telecommunication Union’s Centres of Excellence for Africa. ITU also records his involvement, through mentorship and founding roles, in innovations including Winsenga, ClinicMaster, Matibabu Mobile, SUFACE and Wekebere.
Research and publications
Dr. Mirembe’s research addresses the practical use of technology and the security considerations that accompany it. His interests include cybersecurity, ICT for development, agricultural technologies, health information systems, learning technologies, artificial intelligence, data science, mobile and wireless technologies, and innovation management.
His research contributions include:
- Information systems security: threat modelling, the Threat Nets approach to security risk analysis, and secure approaches to integrating digital systems.
- Digital finance: the M-cash model for electronic money transfer in resource-constrained environments.
- Healthcare technology: secure frameworks for telemedicine, e-health and wellness services.
- Agriculture and rural development: university engagement with smallholder farmers and the use of mobile and web technologies for agricultural knowledge sharing.
- Education: social media in higher education, e-learning platforms and security mechanisms in educational institutions.
- Distributed computing: work concerning data management in peer-to-peer systems and trust and reputation management in cloud services.
His website also lists work on artificial intelligence in higher education, digital skilling for persons with disabilities, barriers to educational connectivity, and agricultural applications of image processing and deep learning. These include research on groundnut disease diagnosis and the detection of aflatoxin-related defects in Ugandan groundnuts.
Public service and community engagement
Dr. Mirembe serves as the founding Minister of ICT and Innovation in the Tooro Kingdom Cabinet. His portfolio focuses on digital transformation, cultural preservation, digital literacy, youth innovation and resilient digital infrastructure.
The ministry’s priorities include secure official digital platforms, digital archives and communication channels, youth technology training, and the application of digital tools to agriculture, healthcare and cultural tourism.
Beyond his institutional appointments, he describes himself as a farmer and Rotarian, alongside his work as a researcher, educator and innovator.
Approach and contribution
Dr. Mirembe’s career shows a sustained interest in building the institutions, skills and partnerships that allow people to put technology to use. Innovation centres, professional training, academic networks and technology enterprises have provided different avenues for that work.
Taken together, these activities reflect a practical approach: research should respond to real needs, digital services should suit the communities using them, and security should be considered from the beginning. His contribution lies both in his technical work and in the opportunities he has helped create for students, professionals, entrepreneurs and communities to develop and apply their own expertise.
