President Museveni tips African engineers on technology, innovation

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President Yoweri Museveni has urged African engineers to strengthen scientific and technological innovations to improve the livelihoods of people on the continent.

“We must build scientific and technological strength to serve better livelihoods and the safety of our people,” Museveni said.

The message was contained in a speech delivered by the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, who represented Museveni as the chief guest at the opening of the 11th UNESCO Africa Engineering Week and 9th African Engineering Conference at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala on Tuesday (September 16).

The conference is being held under the theme: Leveraging Engineering Innovations and Technology to Accelerate Africa's Socio-Economic Transformation.

Museveni told the more than 1,500 delegates that Africans must finally “get on the bus of history”, which, he said, has bypassed them for the last 600 years. He quoted from Genesis 1:28, where God commands man to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it and have dominion over all living creatures.

He stressed that the role of science is to enable man to tame nature rather than nature acting on man.

“We must build a modern society and the society itself must metamorphose into a middle-class, skilled working class one running a fully monetised economy,” Museveni stated.

Left to right the Speaker of Parliament of Kenya Moses Wetangula, Uganda's Parliament Speaker Anita Among and East African Legislative Asembly Speaker Joseph Ntakirutimana pose for a photograph after opening the 9th African Engineering conference at the 11th UNESCO Afric a Engineering week at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala on September 16, 2025.

He highlighted four key sectors that engineers should focus on: commercial agriculture, industries, services, and ICT, alongside public service. Museveni noted that this has been the mission of the NRM for the last 60 years, pointing out that Africa has the resources to prosper.

He emphasised that Africa cannot emancipate itself from backwardness without an industrial revolution and explained that the NRM government had prioritised infrastructure development in transport and energy.

“This has had the effect of lowering the cost of doing business in Uganda,” he said.

“Therefore, our deliberate move to prioritise infrastructure development was aimed at creating a strong economic base to attract investment in the four sectors.”

The opening was also attended by two other speakers from the region; Kenya’s National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, and East African Legislative Assembly Speaker Joseph Ntakirutimana. They were joined by Uganda's works minister, Gen. Katumba Wamala and science and technology minister Dr Monica Musenero.

Wetangula, who is also president of the East Africa Speakers Forum, underscored the importance of investment in research and innovation. He pledged to implement the communiqué issued by engineers at the end of the conference.

Ntakirutimana described the African Engineering Conference as an important milestone for the continent and urged organisers to host the next event in Sudan.

He called on engineers to empower young people in the profession to make Africa a better place.

The president of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE), Eng. Bosco Lepi, told delegates that Uganda cannot achieve middle-income status without fully harnessing the expertise of engineers.

“From infrastructure to energy, ICT, manufacturing, and agro-processing, engineers must be at the centre stage of design, innovation, and implementation. We therefore seek greater integration of engineering expertise in national planning and execution,” Lepi said.

Prof. Dr Eng. Henry Alinaitwe, chairman of the Engineers Registration Board, urged delegates to forge partnerships between regulators, industrialists, innovators, academia and industry to strengthen the engineering capacity Africa urgently needs.

“Let us discuss how we, as custodians of the profession, can build the trust that will unlock innumerable potent investments. Each one of us should leave here not only bustling with new ideas, but with a renewed commitment to professional excellence,” he said.

He posed a question: how can this be achieved?

“It is only through qualified, ethical, and innovative engineers that we can transform our infrastructure challenges into opportunities for sustainable growth,” Alinaitwe answered.

Also in attendance were Eng. Mustafa Shehu, president of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations, and Sarah Buthelezi, president of the Federation of African Engineering Organisations.