Popularise your operations for the benefit of all, MPs urge UIRI

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KAMPALA - The Members of Parliament (MPs) on the Presidential Affairs Committee have urged the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) management to popularise their operations for the benefit of all.

Legislators noted that people in the rural areas are unaware of the different projects that UIRI is undertaking in order for them to take advantage of them.

Peter Okot (Tochi County, DP) emphasised the need for diversification of the working relationship within the institution.

“The people of Karamoja [region] and other rural parts of the country don’t know what UIRI does. You need to create awareness of the things you are doing so that people can leverage them,” he said.

The MPs were interacting with the institute management, led by executive director Prof. Charles Kwesiga on the consideration of the ministerial policy statement for the financial year 2024/2025 on Wednesday, March 20, 2023.

Johny Isaias Ssasaga (Budadiri East, FDC) said the working relationship between the committee and the entity needs to be worked on. 

“We need to know what the output is from the funds that we allocate. UIRI has a big place that is underutilised,” he said.

UIRI is seeking shillings 32 billion as budget allocation for the financial year 2024/2025. Kwesiga said full operationalisation of the institute at the Namanve Campus requires funding over and above the current budgetary provisions.

The institute needs wage warrants of shillings 10.3 billion. However, the UIRI team expressed concern that there is a small adjustment in the wage as it was revised downwards to shillings 9.623211 billion from 10.3 billion.

Committee chairperson asked UIRI to present all the necessary justifications for the funding: “We need a breakdown of the activities that you want to do under every key priority for the financial year 2024/2025,” she said.

Stephen Itaza Aseera (Buhanguzi East, Indp) demanded to know the progress of the fabrication of post-harvest and value addition technologies, such as peanut sheller, cassava chipper, maize sheller, and coffee grading machine, among others.

Prof Kwesiga said that they need shillings 26 billion for the full operationalisation of UIRI’s machining manufacturing industrial skills development centre.

He said the money is needed for various items, including supply, installation, and commissioning of machinery and equipment, incubator technology operational costs, machinery repair and servicing materials, and recruitment of technical staff.

“It is noteworthy that UIRI had to scale down the inventory of machinery and equipment requested for under the $30m grant from the People’s Republic of China, thereby leaving out key technologies in for the tool and die shop that encompasses computer-aided manufacturing, refrigeration and air conditioning, service and repair, welding and fabrication,” he said.

He also said the institute has a funding gap of shillings 4.97 billion for the financial year 2024/2025 in their research and development.

Other Key priority areas for the institute according to Kwesiga include industrial and technological incubation, industrial skills development, model value addition.