KIIRA MOTORS IS A LEGACY PROJECT THAT SHOULD BE PEOPLE CENTERED SAYS, ERB CHAIRMAN DR. MUTENYO

 

BY MOSES SSERWANGA  

Dr.  Isaac Mutenyo the Chairman of Engineers Registration Board, (ERB) has said that Kiira Motors is a national legacy project that should be people centered . He called upon the UPDF Engineering Brigade through the National Enterprise Corporation ,(NEC) who are constructing the Kiira Vehicle Plant at the Jinja Industrial and Business Park, to “guard jealously “ what will be a national treasure once completed mid next year .

The start up facility which is projected to produce 22 vehicles per day and 5,000 a year is at 60% completion and it is on course to be ready for vehicles production next year if government releases all the required funds to set up the production line , “ Eng. Brian Buhanda the  General Manager NEC stated. The construction works are being supervised by the Makerere  University based ,Technology Consult that was represented by Eng. Peter Mugumya.

Dr. Mutenyo made the remarks when he led a- 13 man delegation of ERB including members of their secretariat who had a tour of the Kiira Vehicle Plant site on Saturday midmorning .

“ Let Kiira Motors involve the people especially the local communities in ensuring the project serves the public interest.  Corporate Social  Responsibility (CSR) is key for the people and the KMC leadership  should ensure that health and safety measures are observed on site at all times. We don’t want to hear an incident here this facility is very important for the economic growth and development of Uganda,”  Dr. Mutenyo who was received at the site by the KMC Executive Chairman, Prof. Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa and the KMC CEO , Mr. Paul Isaac Musasizi, stressed.

CSR  is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders.

The ERB Chairman pledged that his board will be KMC brand ambassadors and said they will work with the company’s management to register a team of engineers who are churning out electric vehicles in Uganda and championing green mobility technologies on the African continent .

Prof. Tickodri-Togboa called upon government through the Ministry of Energy to deploy a national charging infrastructure to prepare for the evolving electric vehicles revolution across the world.  Mr. Musasizi said that Kiira Motors was at the forefront of developing Uganda’s nascent automotive industry for deepening value addition and create  thousands of jobs in Uganda with- the second youngest population in the world.

Mr. Musasizi  said that although it was commendable that government has embarked on the development of 22 industrial and business parks across Uganda, there is still inadequate  infrastructure  to  support  establishment  of industries  in  these  parks i.e -connection to national grid, railway sidings, roads, water, waste treatment plant and there is limited investment in infrastructure to support the shift to green automotive technology and charging infrastructure.

 

For the Kiira Vehicle Plant , Musasizi said government should expedite plans to put in place facilities for vehicle testing, vehicle homologation protocols, and automotive technology research and development centers to support the utilization of the abundant minerals and plant materials for developing a wide range of auto parts and systems in Uganda.

 

 Among other the Engineers Registration Board members present included , Eng. Dr. Florence Lubwama kiyimba, Eng. Dr. John Tumwesigye, Eng. George william Bwanga, Eng.Dr. Eleanor Wozei, Eng. Ayub Sooma and Eng. Ronald Namugera who is also the Registrar on the Board.