By Moses Sserwanga
Universities should change the manner in which
they deliver education by emphasizing practical-
innovative skills training rather than testing old theories if the country is
to over come the growing unemployment problem , renowned scholar, Prof. Sandy
Steves Tickodri- Togboa has stated .
“What is the purpose of telling first year
University students to test the ohm’s law theory in the 21 century .
Instead ,students should be encouraged to think outside the box and come up with new
innovative ideas and solutions to the challenges of the fast changing modern world,” he said .
Prof Tickodri –Togboa , who is also the
Executive Chairman of Kiira Motors Corporation Uganda ‘s flagship for the
automotive industry , was speaking to students and staff of Muni University in
Arua district .
Prof
Tickodri led a team of Kiira Motoros to showcase the kiira EVS at his former
Oduruba primary school in Arua district. He attended primary at this village
school some 50 years ago. The team was welcomed by excited pupils led by the
headmistress Lillian Adele.
The change in the universities’ teaching
methods, he noted, will lead to the production of skilled graduates to tackle
society’s technological challenges . “
Uganda and Africa in general can not sit back as the rest of the world is fully
engaged in transformative -technology innovations .Some of our Universities’ pedagogy
must change,” he stressed.
While highlighting his own experience while
still lecturing at Makerere University’s college of Engineering Design Art and Technology , Tickodri-Togboa said he had to make some
radical proposals to offer hands-on skills training to his students that eventually
resulted in the production of the first concept electric vehicle in Uganda and
Africa. “This idea has now transformed into something big for Uganda –the Kiira
Motors Corporation that is set to produce cars for the first time in Uganda. We
are now in the process of setting up a vehicles production plant at the Jinja
industrial Park- a government venture
that many Ugandans are proud of ,” he said.
The
kiira EVS was exhibited at Muni University in Arua to motivate students to
become Uganda’s next innovators .
He said the Kiira Motors model should be picked
up by universities and work on innovative projects that will be of national
value. For the last one week ,Prof.
Tickodri has led a team of engineers from Kiira Motors , to showcase and
validate the capabilities of the Kiira EVS car while on a tour of West Nile ,
Northern and Eastern regions of the country covering a distance of well over
1500 kilometers .
Other team members included ,Richard Madanda,
Fred Matovu, Mario Gira Obua ,Ian John Kawuma,
Moses Wasswa Kalule and Fred Kayemba.
Mr. Allan Muhumuza, the company’s
Business Development Manager, said Kiira Motors has made the decision to the
exhibition the vehicle in various parts of the country to show Uganda’s
capabilities in making executive sedans locally and cultivate orders for the
niche market segment.
At
the elite St Mary’s girls secondary school Edioffe , students expressed interest
in studying sciences to carry forward Kiira Motors’s achievements forward.
“We have continued to push the
frontiers of what was thought as far-fetched in Uganda’s upstream participation
in the automotive value chain. The Kiira EVS is one fine piece of Ugandan
engineering and design,” he stated.
He said that by showcasing the Kiira
EVS, the company will demonstrate to Ugandans the vast opportunities available
in the automotive industry for local content development. “When the automotive
industry takes off with Kiira Motors at the helm, Ugandans should be in
position to benefit directly through prospects for manufacturing and supplying
vehicle parts for the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja,” Muhumuza who was
addressing students at Muni University ,added.
At Muni University , Kiira motors team was
received by the Deputy Vice Chancellor , Prof. Simon Aguma, University
Secretary . Fr. Picho, the Deputy University Secretary, Abok Maxwell Amulla and Guild President Jesse Mugabi.
At Oduruba Primary School, where Prof.Tickdori enrolled for his
primary education more than 50 years ago, he encouraged the pupils to work hard to ensure
that they takeover from the current generation and carry on with home made technological
innovations .
He implored the teachers to pay special attention to the girl
child to embrace science subjects . The Kiira EVS was also exhibited at Arua
demonstration school, and the elite St Mary’s Ediofe girls school where excited
students promised to study sciences and become innovators to transform the
country .
The Deputy RDC Arua district , Ms Alice Akello called upon the
youth to be innovative and self sustaining . he District police Commander Arua,
Sam suubi said that Kiira Motors was a great inspiration to the country in the
field of science and technology and should be emulated by the youth o fight
poverty .
The
kiira team s Allan Muhumuza being welcomed by youthful LCV Chairman Pakwach
district, Robert Steen Omito, at the
Pakwach bridge the gateway to West Nile region.
In Pakwach the lC V
chairman , Hon Robert Steen Omito was joined by a mammoth crowd to welcome the Kiira EVS also known as
the Beast . Other towns where the car was showcased included , Nebbi, Lira,
Gulu, Moroto, Tororo, Mbale and Iganga.
It was all nostalgic as Richard Madanda, the Kiira Motors
Director production Development,led the Kiira team to exhibit the Kiira EVS
back at Iganga Boys Boarding Primary School where he enrolled in primary one in
1993 till primary seven in 1999.
While at the school, he told the pupils
that he was taught by the same
teachers and studied in the same buildings before joined Namilyongo college and
later joined Makerere University where he studied engineering . He was among the
first students to work on the kiira EV concept vehicle . He encouraged the pupils to study hard especially Mathematics
and sciences to aspire to become engineers and innovators to contribute to their
country’s development agenda . He said some of
them could one day make parts for the cars made in Uganda.
Kiira Motors Corporation is a State
Enterprise established to make vehicles in Uganda. “One of our strategic
objectives is to set up and operate vehicle plants and service centers for the
assembly and selling of vehicles and provision of vehicle support products and
services that exceed customer expectation,” Mr. Paul Isaac Musasizi the KMC,
Chief Executive Officer said.
Kiira Motors Corporation has also
produced the Kayoola Solar Bus and the Kiira EV, winning regional and
international recognition as a pioneer in developing vehicle clean energy
technologies in Africa.
The Kiira EVS is a 4-Seater Executive Vehicle
built off the Kiira EV SMACK Platform fitted with a 2.0 Litre
Petrol Engine, 5 Speed Automatic Transmission, and an exquisite Beige Interior Trim.
The writer is communications and media consultant /Advocate
of High Court of Uganda
msserwanga @gmail.com
