Kadaga lauds innovation during exhibition

By Lydia Nabwire

Tuesday was a chilly day with a steady downpour, but this did not stop the scientists and innovators from exhibiting their works and projects at Parliament parking lot. This was the second Parliamentary Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) exhibition week organised by the Parliamentary Committee on science, technology and innovations.

The exhibition was organised under the theme: "Transforming the Country through Ugandan innovators". It is a three-day exhibition which commenced today (Tuesday) and will go on till Thursday. The public is allowed free access to Parliament to go and pick ideas from the innovators.

The chairperson of the committee, Maj. Bwino Fred Kyakulaga, said supporting scientists and innovators is a wake-up call and deserving at such a time when Uganda is working towards implementing Vision 2040.

Vision 2040 envisages a transformed country from a predominantly peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years, while the second National Development Plan (NDPII) seeks to strengthen Uganda's competitiveness for sustainable wealth creation, employment and inclusive growth.

"This is an opportunity for us to illuminate and showcase Uganda's massive innovation capacity; use the occasion to highlight the challenges our local innovators are facing and recommend possible solutions," Kyakulaga said.

He thanked the NRM Government under the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni for prioritising science, technology and innovations and more so for making it a fully-fledged ministry and continuously supporting scientific innovations.

Kyakulaga said Uganda's industrialisation is taking shape and scientists are making their contribution despite the challenges they continue facing. He said a number of Ugandan scientists have patents for industrial prototypes and some of them are present at the exhibition.

Despite the rain, the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, left her warm office and took a stroll through the parking lot to inspect the stalls. At some point, she sat in a locally fabricated car which had been assembled from Kibuye by Bakayiira Diesel Garage.

Kadaga was mesmerised by the silk project which had its silk worms and products exhibited. She expressed her concern about a group of silk farmers who used to do silk farming in Ikumbya in Busoga region, and requested Clet Wandui Masiga, the principal Investigator of Silk innovations in Uganda to go follow them up and ensure there is production.

Kadaga asked to know the current commercial production of Silk products. She was informed of the initial area of silk commercialisation being in Sheema district and she asked the silk innovators to ensure that the project spreads to the entire country.

Masiga said they have done a feasibility study and confirmed that the entire country is suitable for silk production. He informed her that the commercial volumes required for production of raw silk is from 15,000 Ha.

This can be spread out throughout the country and places such as Ikumbya in Busoga, Kakiri in Wakiso, and Bukanga in Busoga, Mityana are key targets.

This will produce at least 2000 metric tonnes of raw silk (silk yarn) which will bring into the Uganda economy sh360b annually. He said that government needs to invest into the project a total of sh380b.

The total jobs to be created will be 50,000 jobs worth sh200b annually.   Other districts earmarked for silk farming are Kiruhura, Kisoro, Iganga, Buikwe, Kamuli, Pader, Bulambuli, Busia, Butaleja, Lira, Amudat, Kotido, Kitgum, Rukungiri, Kiryandongo, Sironko, Kanungu, Isingiro and many others.

The exhibitors among others included development of protein bait for management of fruit flies in Uganda, Environmental technology Africa, Kiira Motors and Ten Mangoes.