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In a bid to eliminate polythene bags from the East African market, Kyambogo University has embarked on a research project to introduce environmentally friendly packaging materials from cassava waste. 

According to Dr Juliet Kyayesimira, a lecturer from the university’s Department of Biological Science, who won a grant for the project valued at $100,000 (about sh385.8m) from Bioinnovate Africa, this packaging solution will lead to increased employment for farmers and youth. 

"I won this project last year, the support is coming into developing eco-friendly packaging materials from cassava waste and other bio-waste materials in East Africa," she told New Vision in an exclusive interview. 

Kyayesimira made the revelation on April 2, 2024, during a visit by officials from Bioinnovate Africa to Kyambogo University. 

The delegation of funders from Nairobi, Kenya, met the university's vice chancellor in a closed-door meeting, who commended them for their support. 

Kyayesimira who is the project leader, acknowledged that it was a difficult and tedious process which is time-consuming, from seeking letters of support to documentation and making sure that one's pitch is indeed an award-winning idea. 

She emerged among the seven awarded projects from eight African countries and outcompeted over 370 other applicants to bring home the coveted academic award. 

"We feel indebted to Bioinnovate Africa and we are going to do our best to make sure that we deliver on the key agreed deliverables," she said excitedly. 

The project team comprising Dr Julius Ecuru, manager from Bioinnovate Africa and his colleague Shira Mukiibi the Kenyan organization's business development manager accompanied by other Ugandan scholars from Kyambogo and Makerere universities visited the laboratory, field and other facilities. 

Ecuru noted that this was the first time the university was working with Bioinnovate Africa. He said the process was quite competitive involving eight African countries namely Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, DR Congo, Burundi, Uganda and Ethiopia. 

The International Centre for Insect Physiology & Ecology (ICIPE) which is part of Bioinnovate Africa is the only centre in the whole world that focuses on insects.
 
"We also look at plant, animal and human health. We have 180 postgraduate students on our campus," Ecuru told the Ugandan lecturers. 

The Ugandan delegation was headed by Assoc. Prof. Diriisa Mugampoza, the Dean Faculty of Science. 

He was flanked by Dr Khadijah Nakyinsige the head of the Department of Food Science and Technology and Dr Ivan Gumula who heads the chemistry department at Kyambogo.

Others who attended included Dr Abubaker Muwonge a lecturer from the Department of Biological Sciences, as well as Dr Karlmax Rutaro, a Makerere University lecturer from the Department of Biochemistry who was the master of ceremony. 

Kyayesimira noted that they have interacted and consulted with the trade and agricultural ministries as well as consumers and national standards bodies such as the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and concluded that, “our products are still unique".

She told New Vision that they carried out a benchmarking visit to India, the laboratory sheets process is still underway, and “we have done some prototype development".
 
The dean commended Kyayesimira for the presentation but queried if this could be extended to other agro waste such as banana waste through expanded research. 

"How long does it take to decompose which cassava varieties create the best bags and will it be for food, won't the cassava flavour affect the food content being packed?" Mugampoza asked. 

Gerald Kizito, a master's student from the Department of Biological Science and researcher on the project, said they are in the laboratory and chose cassava because it has a high starch content. 

"We try to make sure that whatever comes out is of the required strength," he assured the team.

Kizito said they improving the product citing that NARO has many cassava varieties but noted that Nasa 3, Nasa9, and Nasa 14 are the ones with the highest starch content.