UGANDA’S FINANCE MINISTER KASAIJA HAILS KIIRA MOTORS-SAYS COUNTRY SHOULD PREPARE FOR THE 4th INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

By Moses Ssserwanga

Uganda’s Finance Minister , Mr. Matia Kasaija has underscored  the importance of  technological innovations  as the country prepares for the 4th industrial revolution .

" A country that doesn't innovate as we head into the 4th industrial revolution is a dead one. Uganda should keep pace with the rest of the world in the field of science , technology and  innovation to create jobs and improve our general wellbeing ," Kasaija said .

The minister made the remarks while on a fact finding visit  to the Kiira Motors Vehicle Plant that is under construction at the Jinja Industrial and Business Park. “With digitalization, artificial intelligence and development of electric vehicles, Uganda must keep as close as possible to the rest of the world. New technologies are emerging everyday and as a country we should be prepared not to be left behind, ” the Minister stated .

While appreciating the management and stuff of Kiira Motors for their innovations to champion green mobility technologies as a solution to Uganda’s urban transportation needs, Kasaija said that it was the NRM government’s ideology to have Ugandans at the center  of the country’s economic development .

“The economy should be in the hands of Ugandans and everything is being done to develop capacity of local contractors to take on and deliver quality works on some of the country’s infrastructure development projects” , he said. The Minister said local companies with demonstrable capacity  should  be encouraged to undertake infrastructure development projects on which government spends an estimated  Shs. 7 trillion. “This is the only way we can develop and  increase local content participation.”   

Kasaija implored other Uganda innovators to follow the Kiira Motors model -to patent and commercialize  their innovations  . Kiira Motors has unveiled its production electric buses paving way for the deployment of the first Ugandan made  Kayoola EVS buses for urban transportation . After the successful validation tests, the Kayoola EVS buses are expected to be deployed on the Entebbe express highway .

The Finance Minister pledged that government will bridge the funding gap for the Kiira Vehicles plant to be completed on schedule .  “The Job you have started by demonstrating  local capacity in development of green mobility technologies as a solution for urban public transportation shall be completed ,” he stressed.

The minister was taken on a site tour by the Kiira Motors Executive Chairman , Prof. Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa, the Under Secretary of Ministry Of Science Technology and Innovation, Mr. Emmanuel Freddie Mugunga , the CEO, Mr. Paul Isaac Musasizi and Brig. Gen. Ddiba Ssentongo the Deputy Managing Director of National Enterprise Corporation ,(NEC) the business army of the UPDF who are in charge of the construction works .

Prof. Tickodri thanked  President Yoweri Museveni for believing and supporting Kiira Motors’  mission vehicles made in Uganda . Brig. Ssentongo said that with the availability of funds ,  NEC has the capacity to complete the  construction of the Kiira Vehicle Plant  ahead of schedule. “We shall delivery a world class vehicle plant to show that Uganda and the UPDF have the requisite competences and capacity to deliver high quality projects of national strategic importance ,” he said.

Mr. Mugunga called for the setting up of a National Construction Company in a deliberate effort to stop capital freight by foreign companies .

According to , Mr. Paul Isaac Musasizi, the new Kiira Motors  electric buses can cover a distance of 300 kilometers under a single charge.  They have a speed governor that allows a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour but can pick up to a speed of 140 Kilometers per hour .

The 12 meter long  Kayoola EVS buses  have a capacity of 90 passengers (49 sitting and 41 standing) while the diesel engine ones will seat 65 passengers .

The writer is a media and communications consultant  and advocate of the high Court of Uganda

msserwanga@gmail.com

UGANDA SHOULD COMMERCIALISE ITS INNOVATIONS WITH KIIRA MOTORS TAKING THE LEAD

By MOSES SSERWANGA

Reference is made to an article by a one MatsikoKahunga that has been published by the New Vision and Observer newspapers ,respectively, where he makes uninformed arguments that Kiira Motors or any other Ugandan innovators for that matter don’t have capacity to turn their innovations into commercial products on a large scale .

Suffice to say that this is the mentality or mindset lock that has kept not only Uganda but the black African continent lagging behind in terms of development for  more than 200 years .  While many Ugandan innovators have failed to have their innovations transformed into commercial products for various reasons, at least Kiira Motors is on a steady trajectory to hit the market place by becoming the first indigenous registered company to produce both electric and combustion engine vehicles at a commercial level.

This follows a well laid out road-map approved by cabinet in April 2018to  commercialize the Kiira Electric Vehicle Project by championing value addition in the domestic automotive industry for job creation and diversification of the Ugandan economy. The cabinet decision was informed by a comprehensive appraisal and approval of the Feasibility Study for Setting Up and Operating the Kiira VehiclePlant by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

 

By doing this , government and the management of Kiira Motors were fully aware that to make  this giant step –going forward,   the market entry strategy is to produce vehicles starting with electric buses in partnership with a reputable automotive manufacturers(s)  also known as (aka) Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).  It is anticipated  that this partnership will foster the progressive development of automotive local content participation through technology transfer .

It should be noted, therefore,  that Kiira Motors is already collaborating with CHTC Motor Co. Ltd a vehicle-manufacturing venture and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the China National Machinery Industry Corporation (SINOMACH), the largest State-Owned group with the most diverse and comprehensive lines of business and strongest research and development (R&D) capabilities in China’s machinery industry.

SINOMACH was ranked 334th in the 2017 list of the world’s top 500 companies, with revenues of USD 32.24 Billion. CHTC Motor has seven vehicle manufacturing facilities in China and two in Europe (TAM airport Buses and GINAF trucks) producing a comprehensive product portfolio covering pick-up trucks, light, medium & heavy duty trucks, buses and sports utility vehicles(SUVs) with conventional Internal Combustion Engine(ICE) and new energy Powertrain options (electric, fuel cell, solar, compressed natural gas(CNG), water, etc.).

With this partnership, it is envisaged further  that at  the start of Kiira Motors Commercialization of its green mobility technologies/products (ie. Electric buses )- CHTC Motor Co. Ltd will  supply, install, validate  plant machinery, tools and equipment; work with  Kiira Motors engineers to design  plant systems, processes and standard Operating procedures; supply of kits in line with the production schedule; train and manufacture launch-support for the Kiira Vehicle Plant which is under construction at the Jinja Industrial and Business park.

The idea here is to make sure that all the vehicles production processes are carried out at the Kiira Motors vehicle plant to ensure capacity development and technology transfer  while at the same time allowing development of automotive local content participation.

This approach when well executed will eliminate the mere importation of semi-knock down kits for assembly purposes only. In otherward, the engineers at Kiira Motors will be allowed to develop their skills in development of vehicle parts and building them into complete vehicle units.

There is also the misplaced argument about the legality of Kiira Motors Corporation Ltd.  For the record, Kiira Motors Corporation is a limited liability Company incorporated under the

Companies Act, 2012,with 96% government equity and Makerere university owning 4%.  So its a fallacy for one to state  that Kiira Motors is a government department or agency or academic institution and whoever is making such allegations must be having ulterior motives akin to those of briefcase middlemen.

Until two years ago, Kiira Motors was being operated at Uganda Development Corporation where its progression to commercialize its products stalled -for again various reasons which necessitated President Yoweri Museveni to  intervene and had it transferred to the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation .

Again for the record, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is mandated to provide policy guidance and oversight to Kiira Motors Corporation  and is not involved in the company’s day today operations.

Ugandan innovators should be allowed the space to mature their products and have them produced on a large commercial scale with Kiira Motors taking the lead.

The writer is a media and communications consultant trainer / Advocate of the High court of Uganda

msserwanga@gmail.com