KAMPALA, UGANDA — Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Monica Musenero and Col. Edith Nakalema, head of the State House Investors Protection Unit, urged Ugandans to support local innovations for national progress during the first National Science Summit on Monday, June 16, 2025.
“We need Ugandans to come on board and appreciate these innovations. The future is here,” Musenero said at Kololo Independence Grounds.
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The summit, part of National Science Week 2025, was organized by the Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation-Office of the President in partnership with Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, and Busitema University.
Musenero highlighted Uganda’s advancements in science and technology, noting the country’s progress in vaccine manufacturing since 2020.
“Before 2020, we had no single vaccine manufacturing plant, but now we are looking for the market for products. We now have a very organized system,” she said, appealing for more resources to expand clinical trial capacity.
Musenero also requested the State House Investors Protection Unit and other authorities to provide protection and technical support to scientists, recognizing them as investors contributing to Uganda’s economy.
“Majority of these scientists have funded themselves, and I believe that they deserve to be recognized as investors,” she stated. “There’s a surging storm of domestic investors, and they need protection and technical support.”
Nakalema emphasized that Uganda’s journey to middle-income status depends on transforming scientific research into commercially viable innovations.
“As Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit, I’ve witnessed firsthand how robust investor protection frameworks serve as the foundation for sustainable innovation ecosystems,” Nakalema said.
She explained that the Uganda Electronic Investors Protection Portal (EIPP) has boosted Foreign Direct Investment by over 30% in one year by eliminating bureaucratic delays and providing real-time responsiveness.
“Quality research attracts quality investment, but only when investors have confidence in the protection of their capital and Intellectual Property (IP),” Nakalema said, advocating for transparent regulatory frameworks, strong IP enforcement, and clear dispute resolution processes.
Nakalema expressed gratitude to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his support of the sciences, which she said has driven social and economic progress. She urged Ugandans and the media to appreciate the country’s achievements in innovation and research.
“It’s your role to shape the agenda for what is to be discussed. Tell everyone that a lot has been achieved, that is why the economy is stable and that is why Uganda is progressing steadily,” she told the media.
Nakalema reiterated SHIPU’s commitment to coordinating with government ministries and agencies to support those who add value to Uganda’s economy and encouraged the STI sector to participate in global research and partnerships.
During the event, a clinical trial report on the safety and efficacy of herbal products for acute respiratory viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, in Uganda was launched.
Baguma Douglas Karugaba, CEO of Innovex, shared his company’s success in establishing Uganda’s first electronics manufacturing company, which exports products globally.
“We are the first team of black people to manufacture electronics that are exported across the world,” Karugaba said, highlighting the $600 billion electronics industry.
Allan Muhumuza, Mobility Bureau Team Leader at the STI Secretariat, discussed the need for Uganda to capitalize on e-mobility opportunities. He noted that Uganda has an annual production capacity of 10,000 electric vehicles, has invested $160 million in the sector since 2018, and has created 10,000 jobs.
Dr. Bruce Kirenga, Principal of the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University and chairman of the organizing committee, said the summit brought together researchers, innovators, policymakers, youth and industry leaders to showcase innovations and their transition from lab to market.
National Science Week 2025, running from Monday, June 16, to Friday, June 20, is themed “Made in Uganda – Innovation to market.”
