AS IT HAPPENED: Kiira vehicle on road test in city centre

KIIRA MOTORS  INNOVATION  MAKERERE

Kiira Motors, a brainchild of Makerere University, is supported through the Presidential Initiative for Science and Technology Innovation to champion Value Addition in the Domestic Automotive Industry for job creation and diversification of the economy.

The Government of Uganda, acting through Uganda Investment Authority, allocated 100 acres of land at the Jinja Industrial and Business Park for the establishment of the Kiira Vehicle Plant.  

The vehicle at Forest Mall, Lugogo bypass, Kampala on Friday morning. Photos by Osbert Mwijukye

The Kiira Motors initiative dates back to 2007 when a team of students and staff at Makerere University were invited to be part of an international consortium, the Vehicle Design Summit 2.0 (VDS 2.0). Inspired by the key challenges perceived as opportunities in the 21st Century, a group of motivated researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) founded VDS with the ultimate aim of developing environmentally friendly commuter transport solutions.