MUK, Agriculture and Climate Change lawyers partner on innovation

The Makerere University School of Public Health-affiliated ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) and lawyers passionate about agriculture and climate change have come together in a partnership that will see the entities hold regular meetings (legal cafes) to discuss innovations to improve the sectors.

Agriculture and climate change remain core areas that need prioritization and the country needs sophisticated and better working tools to improve output (from agriculture) at the same time limiting danger to the climate.

Puliida Agriculture Climate Change Lawyers is an initiative of an award-winning Ugandan not-for-profit Legal start up that offers legal support services to agribusinesses and climate change driven social enterprises.

RAN is a USAID funded Research and Innovation Network currently in 18 African Universities in 13 countries, congregated into four Resilience Innovation Labs (RI Labs). It is a focal point for commercialization of research, sourcing, developing and supporting of innovations.

RAN Chief of Party Prof. William Bazeyo said the partnership, which climaxed with a birth of the Resilient Communities Legal Café, will aid innovators with legal expertise as they go around their ideas.

RAN lab director Nathan Tumuhamye said at every stage during the innovation process, there is need for legal guidance. Each innovator needs to embrace the fact (about need for legal advice) if they desire to develop ideas to change current settings.

Some of the RAN Innovations include Matibabu which is a pocket-sized hardware device that uses a beam of red-light to detect malaria parasites in tissues and a Pedal Tap, an affordable hands free foot operated water dispensing system.

The RAN team nurtures and upholds strategic partnerships to strengthen the innovation ecosystem (fostering a culture of innovation and creativity) in Africa and beyond.

To date, RAN supports over 150 innovative projects with a rich trans-formative potential.

Founder of Puliida Moses Mugisha and RAN Deputy Chief of Party Dr. Roy Mayega and Dr. Dorothy Okello who is the lab director of innovation presided over the function.