Cabinet has approved a 13-member Board of Directors for Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC).

The appointment comes as Kiira Motors moves towards making vehicles in Uganda, on a commercial basis.

The board was presented to Cabinet by the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Dr Elioda Tumwesigye on Monday for approval.

The board members include Prof Sandy Stevens Tickodri who is the executive chairman of Kiira Motors, the permanent secretary for the science and technology ministry David Omara Obong, Makerere University vice-chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Ag. Makerere University secretary Yusuf Kiranda, the KMC CEO Paul Isaac Musaazi, science, and the technology ministry director Basil Ajer.

The others are Rev. Sister Mary Grace Akiror, Christine Sekyana, Aisha Naiga, Eng. Henry Alinaitwe, Ronald Rwankangi, Yudaya Babirye, and Dr Charles Barugahare.

KMC is a state enterprise established to champion value addition in the domestic automotive industry for job creation and diversification of the Ugandan economy as a key growth area in line with Vision 2040. The equity partners are the government of Uganda represented by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (96%) and Makerere University (4%).

The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation is mandated to establish the governance and management structures of KMC and provide policy guidance and oversight to the nascent automotive industry in Uganda.

Government in April 2018 approved the roadmap for the Kiira Vehicle Plant and allocated 100 acres of land at the Jinja Industrial and Business Park for the Kiira Vehicle Plant and a seed fund as capitalisation for the construction of the Kiira Vehicle Plant start-up facilities; purchase of start-up plant machinery, equipment and tools; and start-up operational capital.