By Nanteza Ruth Walusimbi
NATIONAL
Monica Musenero, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation has tasked Ugandans to appreciate the milestone achieved in the country’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) sector for more progress.
The Minister made the remarks on Monday,16th June, 2025, during the 1st National Science Summit held at Kololo Independence Grounds set to run for a week under the theme: “Made in Uganda – Innovation to market” that will end on Friday, 20th June, 2025.
The 1st National Science Summit, part of the 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.
According to Dr. Musenero Uganda is now on the right path when it comes to science, technology and innovations due to the support from the government.
“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.
Additionally, Dr. Musenero requested the State House Investors Protection Unit and other authorities to offer protection and technical support to scientists because they are also investors who are adding value to Uganda’s economy. “Majority of these scientists have funded themselves and I believe that they deserve to be recognized as investors. There’s a surging storm of domestic investors and they need protection and technical support,” she stated.
On her part, the Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema said Uganda’s journey toward middle-income status depends critically on the citizens’ ability to transform 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,” she said. “Under President Museveni’s vision, SHIPU was established not just to protect investors from exploitation, but to create an environment where research-driven innovations can flourish with the confidence of sustained investment.”
Furthermore, Col. Nakalema disclosed that Uganda’s decades of stability and security provide the foundation, but modern investment requires digital-age accountability and transparency.
“Quality research attracts quality investment, but only when investors have confidence in the protection of their capital and Intellectual Property (IP).” Col. Nakalema also urged that transparent regulatory frameworks reduce investment risk and lower the cost of capital for innovators. “Strong IP enforcement mechanisms protect both local inventors and international partners. Clear dispute resolution processes encourage long-term partnerships between researchers and investors.” Col. Nakalema also advised that Uganda’s qualitative leap will not come from research or investment alone, but from the synergy between high-quality scientific inquiry and robust investor protection.
Col. Nakalema also expressed gratitude to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his unwavering support towards sciences. She explained that due to such support, Uganda has been able to progress socially and economically.
At the same event, a clinical trial report was launched. The report was about safety, pharmaceutics, and preliminary efficacy of herbal products for treatment of acute respiratory viral infections including SARS-Cov2 in Uganda, phase 2a open label clinical trial.
Earlier, Mr. Baguma Douglas Karugaba, CEO of Innovex revealed that as an enterprise, they always look for challenges affecting the society and find ways of solving them through innovations.
He said they have already set up a first of a kind electronics manufacturing company in Uganda and they have also secured a global partnership in technology transfer. “We are the first team of black people to manufacture electronics that are exported across the world,” Mr. Karugaba said.
Dr. Bruce Kirenga, the Principal of the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University and Chairperson Organizing Committee, said the summit brought together researchers, innovators, policymakers, youths and industry leaders.
He added that the summit offered a unique opportunity for scientists from STI bureaus and the wider innovation ecosystem to present and explain the science behind their innovations and how these are being transitioned from laboratory to market.
