SCIENTISTS | MUSEVENI | MUSENERO 

KAMPALA - Stranded Scientists that were employees of the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovations (MoSTI) have called for President Museveni’s intervention, to secure their jobs, payments but also fair hearing by the current administration.

According to their petition to the Speaker of Parliament dated August 31, 2021, some staff who are largely scientists, have been locked out of office, denied salaries and an audience by the new administration from the time the President announced transfer of the Ministry to the Office of the president.

Following the transfer, the new minister Dr Monica Musenero was tasked to design another structure that would be used by the ministry under new management.

In what has been termed as a macrostructure, the minister is faulted for dropping relevant directorates and also duplicating mandates of other ministries such as agriculture, ICT and national guidance and the ministry of works.

MOSTI structure before the transfer

According to the previous MSOTI structure, which was approved by cabinet in 2017, and has been operational till 30 June 2021, it was headed by the minister, followed by the permanent secretary.

Under the permanent secretary, there were agencies such as Kiira Motors, Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) and the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) whose operations are at stake.

Below the permanent secretary, was a unit on Policy and Planning, Human resource, Finance and Administration.

Under the above offices, were two directorates, one on Science Research and Innovation, which was in charge of Innovations and Intellectual Property management, Technology department, STI infrastructure development, Research and Development.

The second directorate was in charge of STI regulation and biosafety, there was Bioscience and Biotechnology, Physical, Chemical and Social Sciences including biosafety and Biosecurity.

The third directorate was that of Technoprenuership, which was taking care of Skills development, Technology uptake, commercialisation and Enterprise Development, STI advancement and outreach.

Consequences

The team adds that failure by the president to intervene, Uganda may not achieve its goals as highlighted in NDPIII, in which government is relying on innovation, technology development and transfer, to increase productivity, inclusiveness and wellbeing of the population

According to the plan, innovation, technology development and transfer have the potential to address key development challenges facing the country including low industrialisation, value addition; infectious disease outbreaks; limited application of ICT; low research and innovation in industry and academia; climate change issues; and low quality of life.