UNICEF boosts Uganda’s justice system to protect victims, survivors and alleged child offenders

Before the use of audio visual links, it was intimidating and traumatizing for child victims to testify in court or provide evidence in open court while facing the perpetrator (accused person)

Uganda’s justice system has registered a major milestone with the installation of modern audio- visual technology that protects child victims and witnesses when giving evidence especially in sexual abuse cases. Cases of a capital nature include aggravated defilement which is rampant in the country.

In Uganda, defilement is considered aggravated if the victim of defilement is a girl aged 14 years old and below, the offender has HIV/AIDS, the offender is the victim’s parent or guardian, and the girl has a disability. The crime of aggravated defilement carries a maximum penalty of death upon conviction.

To date the Judiciary has received from UNICEF 10 audio visual links installed in eight High Courts (Arua, Kabarole, Mbale, Mbarara, Gulu, Kampala, Jinja, Family Division) and in two Chief Magistrates (Iganga, Kabale) that has eased taking of evidence from child victims, provided protection for the child victims and resulted in more child friendly court proceedings.

Before the use of audio visual links, it was intimidating and traumatizing for child victims to testify in court or provide evidence in open court while facing the perpetrator (accused person).

With the use of audio-visual technology, children who are victims of sexual violence offences have gained confidence to testify against the accused person(s) without being intimidated or fear of retribution.

The justice actors who include Judges and Magistrates, at all levels, plus prosecution officers from the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution, (ODPP), have all openly embraced the new child protection visual- audio link facilities in courts of law across the country. 

As a result, many children who have suffered sexual violence crimes, have managed to successfully give evidence against their tormentors in aggravated defilement cases, helping the prosecution to secure convictions and sentencing of the offenders.

How the new technology works

The audio-visual link refers to giving or receiving of evidence through electronic means without a person (this time a child victim) physically appearing in court.

Under the audio -visual link technology arrangement, children who are victims of sexual violence sit in a separate and friendly room far from the traditional court room where their suspected tormentors are and can in turn, freely testify against them by the help of installed cameras and other electronic gadgets in the court room.

This innovation is aimed at shielding children who are victims of sexual violence from secondary victimization by not facing their alleged tormentors in the same courtroom.

In order for this technology to deliver high quality results, several equipment has been deployed with the support from UNICEF and this include, cameras, network video recorders, LED displays (TVs), column speakers, amplifiers, microphones, power inverters and racks for housing the equipment.

According to the Judicature Audio-Visual Rules No. 26 of 2016 in Uganda, a person can give evidence using audio-video link technology under the following circumstances:

1. For security reasons
2. For safety of a witness
3. When a witness lives outside Uganda
4. Where it is inconvenient for the party to give evidence in open court
5. For economic considerations
6. Due to health reasons

Courts are further allowed to use their discretion to allow witnesses where necessary to give evidence through audio-visual link.

The benefits of Uganda’s audio-visual technology for juvenile trials

Overall, the taking of evidence by audio-visual means has facilitated speedy trials of children cases and promoted child friendly procedures when courts are handling cases involving children.

It is also addressing the problem of further traumatizing victims or witnesses in open court, including challenges related to trials hindered by geographical impediments and fears associated with testifying in person.

The technology is helping to reduce the time spent in taking evidence from witnesses which has often led to delays in the administration of Justice.

Furthermore, the technology is helping courts to ease the process of taking testimonies from vulnerable witnesses like children, the elderly, whistle-blowers and dispose of cases quickly. This has facilitated the Judiciary to deal with the perennial problem of case backlog.

Challenges

However, with all the tremendous progress made to ensure that the criminal justice system in Uganda works and offers justice to child victims, there are still challenges to confront.

According to court users, some of the challenges include limited usage of the technology (a small percentage of courts) have these facilities installed, remand homes are not connected to the system and some of the child courtrooms are not furnished with child friendly equipment.

Background

Uganda is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ratified in 1989. The 1995 Constitution and the Children Act Cap 59, emphasize the upholding of the welfare principle. The principle provides for adherence to the best interests of the child while handling court cases involving juveniles.

UNICEF remains committed to the promotion and strengthening of the child protection system in Uganda, for children in contact with the law and juveniles to operate in the best interest of the child.

Therefore, justice for children is designed to benefit all children in contact with justice authorities to ensure that they are better served and protected. 

The goal of the justice for children approach is to ensure that all children coming into contact with the justice authorities including, alleged offenders, victims, witnesses or parties to non-criminal law procedures have access to Uganda ‘s justice systems (formal and informal) and are better served and protected.

The Writer is a media and communications consultant and advocate of the High Court of Uganda

Email: msserwanga@gmail.com

THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES REVOLUTION: WHY UGANDA NEEDS AN EFFECTIVE NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY POLICY

 

By Moses Sserwanga

 

President Yoweri Museveni has intensified efforts  to mobilise  international investments for Uganda’s nascent automotive industry especially now that the world is swiftly switching to electric mobility to among others - mitigate the widespread effects of climate change.

Luckily for Africa , several countries on  the continent have mobilized resources  to keep pace with the advanced global north – by deploying their home grown E- mobility technologies to ensure the mass production of - clean energy-efficient electric vehicles and phase out the internal - combustion engine (ICE) cars by the year 2030.

Uganda with its automotive flagship -Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), South Africa, Morocco, Nigeria and Mauritius are among Africa’s early leaders in the EV market  projected to have  145 million electric vehicles on the road  by the end of this decade.

This is a vey encouraging  effort for a continent that is  hugely endowed with mineral resources but which has lagged behind in almost everything that is produced and consumed by the world’s population of 7.9bn people .

Uganda, together with other EAC regional governments, should seize the opportunity in 2023 to pronounce themselves  clearly-with well articulated  road maps and policy documents  on greening our cities by promoting clean and efficient e-mobility solutions. Kampala and many other African cities are ranked among the most polluted in the world due to the dumping of end-of-life secondhand used vehicles.

Why Uganda urgently needs  National  Automotive Industry  Policy

It’s now an open secret that Uganda’s automotive industry with automakers Kiira Motors Corporation in the lead -is emerging with the potential to contribute towards economic and social transformation of the country. This is evidenced by the growing regional motor vehicle market anticipated to reach sales of over 630,000 vehicles annually by 2030.

Coupled with government ‘s industrialization agenda –as a top priority to transform Uganda into a middle-income economy through innovation, utilisation of local raw materials, import substitution and export-oriented production there is an urgent need for government to put in place a robust automotive industry development policy to guide the nascent sector .

Global experiences have shown that government industrialization policies coupled with demand and skilled workforce play a leading role in the success of the motor vehicle industry.

Streamlined skilling and upskilling of the youth coupled with opening domestic and regional markets to guarantee demand is key to deepening value addition, and supporting the mineral-led industrialization agenda for import substitution and export promotion.

It can be argued therefore, that a healthy and sustainable domestic automotive industry is underpinned by the development of an elaborate ,practical  automotive policy to boost the industry for regional and global competitiveness.

The Automotive Industry Policy will provide the necessary instruments for promoting the nascent industry with multi-sectoral linkages placing emphasis on deepening automotive value addition to engender supply chain localization, import substitution and ultimately export promotion in the short, medium and long term.

Among the key potential linkages can  include energy – clean energy access for mobility (charging infrastructure –the Ministry of Energy should take note ) ; agriculture - fiber from banana stems, bamboo, leather and textiles for automotive interior parts and upholstery; minerals – automotive steel, silica – sheet glass for automotive, cobalt for batteries; ICT – digital mobility solutions such as ticketing and revenue management, Transport – providing sustainable solutions and eco buses for transport in cities to mention but a few.

This policy should also address other critical areas in the mobility eco-system to ensure  an enabling environment to spur innovation and value addition across the automotive industry value chain and enhance automotive standards.

A clearly thought through  National Automotive Industry Policy  should be the guiding government blueprint –for specific policy actions. It should offer policy makers, government, and private sector actors and or operators- a coherent direction for coordinated investment and implementation of the policy.  This will go a long away to avoid duplication and overlaps like it is in other sectors . It will also be the door –step for investors to understand the available opportunities and how they be harnessed without being bogged down in the wanton government red tape –which in most cases breeds corruption.

Finally , the National Automotive Industry Policy  should offer a certain degree of protection to the  already established industry players like Kiira Motors and other start-ups- Zembo, Safe Boad , International University of East Africa (IUEA) and Bodawerk among others -that have worked against all odds to bring the electric-car revolution to the streets of Kampala with the production of electric-vehicle fleets and motorcycles.

Government should in the year 2023  put in place a National Automotive Policy and other attendant laws to ensure proper coordination in the development of the nascent industry.

msserwanga@gmail.com

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

 

 

 

 

 

2022 HAS BEEN A GOOD YEAR AS UGANDA TAKES GIANT STEPS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS NASCENT AUTOMATIVE INDUSTRY

 

By Moses Sserwanga

In the year ending 2022 , Uganda has made significant strides in the development of its nascent automotive industry with government owned  automakers Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) taking the lead by producing  electric and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) buses.

This growth has been fueled by the government of Uganda led by President Yoweri Museveni’s strategic vision  and commitment to invest heavily in the development of the local automotive industry to tap into the global market now estimated at 2.86n trillion US dollars and projected to hit 9 Trillion USDs by 2030.

There is already a marked mad rush in the global north to cash in on the lucrative automotive industry as automakers  switch to electric vehicles . Around 4.3 million new battery-powered EVs (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) were sold globally in the first half of 2022 and its only fair that African countries-Uganda inclusive - should not be left out of this huge market .

 In the year 2022, Uganda has captured global headlines –in its concerted effort to champion locally produced automobiles and E-mobility technologies  in the East African region - growing its fleet of locally produced electric buses and executive coaches –the Kayoola Evs and the Kayoola Diesel Coaches (KDCs)- respectively .

What the government of  Uganda is doing

As Kiira Motors Corporation has leveraged the Luwero Industries facilities in Nakasongola to build and put on the market its validated fully electric buses and the KDCs –government has continued to invest in the construction of a world class – Kiira Vehicle Plant (KVP) located in the Jinja Industrial and Business Park –with the first phase (production line ) at 99% completion and the  second phase ( body shop, chassis line, paint shop, Quality Inspection and Testing (QIT) building and test track among others) –now underway .

Once the Kiira Vehicle Plant is fully operational , it will have the capacity to produce at least - 500,000 vehicles annually in Uganda by 2030 along with the establishment of efficient, integrated, sustainable, safe and inclusive public transport system(s); and promotion of environmentally friendly transport solutions in the EAC region and the rest of the African continent.

Uganda’s automotive flagship - Kiira Motors has produce more electric buses and the diesel coaches which are being operated by Kilita transporters on the Northern bypass and hired out to government and private organizations. Uganda Airlines and Civil Aviation Authorities are some of the early government entities to give a public endorsement of the Ugandan produced vehicles- some of which have covered 50,000 kilometers on the road  without a hitch.

During the year , KMC also produced  the beautiful orange Tondeka buses with fuel efficient engines and low carbon emissions. This deal was done through contract manufacturing and the buses have been deployed by Tondeka in a move intended to decongest the city and offer affordable transport solutions for urban centers.

Although much of what KMC has achieved thus far has been through technology transfer partnerships with establish and tested Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and sourcing materials and parts from the global supply chains; the company is now working with the  Secretariat of Science Technology and Innovations (STI)- led by Dr. Munica Musenero to ensure the localization of Uganda’s automotive industry materials and parts supply chain.  

“ The automotive industry is ‘an industry of industries’ and its essential that we harness our rich minerals to establish a local supply chain for vehicle parts , components, systems and mobility engineering services,” Prof. Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa the Executive Chairman of Kiira Motors Corporation stated in an interview for this article .  Prof . Tickodri-Togboa is also of the firm view that Uganda should not sit back because it doesn’t have a “comparative advantage” for vehicle production –arguing that such economic theories were designed to keep the least developed countries backward.

“ We have all that it takes to produce vehicles in Uganda and Africa . The continent is rich in minerals which should  be harnessed to add value by producing vehicle parts and materials locally ,” he added .

Dr. Musenero is in total  agreement  and through her |STI Secretariat –she has decided to take the bull by the horns and established –one-stop-center to mentor innovators in the automotive value chain space .  The STI Secretariat is  now mobilizing the informal sector mobility tech-preneurs to guide them on the innovation path from  ideation through prototypes to commercialization. All these are encouraging signs- that a clear pathway has been set and there is no turning back for mission vehicles made in Uganda.

Economic Impact

Economists have established from global trends-that building an indigenous motor vehicle industry provides an unprecedented opportunity for value addition to the country’s minerals and other natural resources in line with government’s policy for import substitution and export promotion of motor vehicles, parts, components and systems.

Globally, it has been established that governments through their targeted industrialization policies together with the ready market demand and a skilled workforce play a leading role in the success of the motor vehicle industry.

Kiira Motors and other players in the industry have demonstrated that Uganda has the skill set and technical knowhow to produce vehicles locally, reduce on our import bill for –end of –life vehicles and mitigate the climate change challenges by adopting E-mobility solutions.

What must be done urgently

Government through the ministries of Energy and Mineral Development led by Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa and Permanent Secretary Irene Batebe and Ministry of Works and Transport led by Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala should fast-track investments to set up adequate  charging infrastructure for electric mobility in Uganda .

The writer is Media and Communications Consult

and Advocate of the High Court of Uganda

msserwanga@gmail.com

 

 

KAYUNGA DISTRICT COUNCIL APPROVES KIIRA MOTORS ECO-AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIAL AND TECHNOLOGY PARK MASTER PLAN

 

The  Kayunga District  Local Administration has approved the Kiira Motors  ECO- Automotive Industrial and Technology Park (AITP) master plan –paving way for the development of the site that sits on 2 square miles .

The  AITP master plan was approved by  the Kayunga District Council during a meeting that was held on 13th October 2022. “This is therefore to submit the minute extract approving  Kiira Motors ECO- Automotive Industrial and Technology Park  master plan for your further consideration and action,” a letter addressed to the management of Kiira Motors and signed by the  Chief Administrative Officer Mr. Abdu Batambuze reads in part.

During the Kayunga District Council meeting , the motion to approve the AITP Master Plan was moved by Councillor Immaculate Namata and seconded by Hon. Councilor Katumba Joseph Ntamu according to a minute extract signed  by the Town Clerk  Immaculate Galimuka  and Hon Saleh Bullnson ,the District Speaker .

Kiira Motors acquired the land through public procurement and has a land title registered in the company names. The residents are excited about the new developments with the park expected to create jobs and lead to the development of the area .

 Kira Motors Corporation acquired the two square miles of land in Bbaale to set-p the Uganda Eco-Automotive Industrial & Technology Park to support a wide range of investments in motor vehicle parts manufacturing, vehicle testing and automotive technology innovation enterprises. The pre-feasibility study and business plan for the park have been completed.

Economic Benefits

According to officials at Kiira Motors that park is in line with the National Physical Development plan 2022/2040 as approved by cabinet and will be prepared to attract investors to set up manufacturing plants for auto filters, brake pads, automotive glass, car seats, lithium ion batteries, bolts and nuts, wiring harness, tires, auto-electronics and bamboo boards among others.

“ This park is a long term investment and will improve the tax base, aid in business retention and promote business diversity in the area. It will also attract foreign exchange through the export of automotive products once fully operational;  encourage the  skilling of the local community in Uganda through by setting up a skilling centre  which will produce skilled labour for the industrial sector thus promoting development,” sources at KMC  explained.

The Kayunga area will also benefit since this huge national project of strategic importance will lead to infrastructure development such as  better roads, fibre, electricity lines, and railway among others.

There  will also be improved social amenities  within Kayunga district with the provision of school, health facilities, hotels, commercial and recreation centres.

“Eco-AITP will improve the aesthetic of the area around the site as greening is one of the major principles of the ECO Automotive Industrial and Technology Park. The Eco-AITP will contribute to the reduction of emissions through the use of clean energy and the production of hybrid and electric automobiles. This will further be attained through the greening of the park,” officials added .

Editor: msserwanga@gmail.com

FINANCING VALUE CHAINS IN UGANDA

 

By Moses Sserwanga

Media/Communications specialist

For many farmers of Agago  , financial literacy and  banking is a new phenomenon  since many of them had never  even entered a banking hall . The farmers in this remote district of Agago in northern Uganda keep their money under their mattress  a practice which does not encourage saving and investment .

As a  result ,the farmers  continue to wallow in  poverty with little or nor savings at all.  This  problem however ,may soon be history following a campaign by Bank of Africa to extend financial services to the remote parts of the country.

A new  Bank of Africa branch has been set up in Patongo Kalongo in Agago district to encourage farmers save money to accelerate agricultural  business growth.  According  to Mr. Paul Tonny Ekwang  Bank of Africa branch manager  ,the bank made  the decision to set up the branch with support from aBi Trust to demystify the use of the phrase “lack of cash flow” among the farmers.

“  We want the farmers to take advantage of the available  resources such as  Ox-plough, bulls, ample land , human resource  synergy to generate income for themselves and their businesses. That’s  why we are training farmers in financial literacy   which covers book keeping, the importance of  banking , available financial products to  boost agricultural production and marketing among other,” Ekwang says.

Four hundred  and eighty ( 480) farmers in selected business member groups  have been  trained  in Lira Palwo, Omot, Omiya Pacwa sub counties and Patongo and Kalongo town councils. “ The purpose of the training was to equip community beneficiaries  with knowledge  on basic  records keeping and financial management, value addition so that good quality  farm produce  is taken to the market. That way , farmers earn much more and grow their capacity to save and take advantage of other available financial opportunities within the banking sector,” he  explains.

Ekwang said that after the training farmers are in position to  determine their cash sales and have cash record book kept for each member. Farmers are also able to take on agriculture as a business which leads to increased  sales of agriculture produce.

The  farmers are also encouraged to approach the Bank of Africa branches in Patongo and Kalongo to open and maintain bank accounts, access loan facilities  during planting , harvesting and  marketing agricultural produce to increase income .

The bank manager was encouraged to note that following the training farmers who had hitherto never entered a banking hall have come up to open bank accounts. We have realized shs.31m in deposits from new clients .

The bank has also helped farmers to bring financial services near to them. People had to travel long distance to access a bank in Pader district.   With support from aBi Trust , the bank managed to open a new branch in Patongo,  bought  motor cycles they use to  travel to the villages to mobilise and train farmers in financial matters.

Challenges :

Because of trauma resulting from the two decade LRA war some farmers fear to approach the bank because of the armed police guards.

70% of the farmers  want to open a Dero (personal ) accounts  but  do not have  photos, identity cards and LC letters which are some of the requirements for opening up an account . 

MAYUGE FARMERS NOW PRODUCING FOR THE MARKET

 It’s been a long journey for the farmers of the remote district of Mayuge. They have had to withstand big challenges that included among others poor seed varieties, gender-based violence due to mistrust among family members, poor farming methods, effects of the climate challenge and the cheating middlemen who pay farmers low prices for their farm produce.

Now organized in a growing farmers’ association, the Mayuge farmers who were hitherto, largely producing for the homesteads are now engaging in large scale farming and realizing positive results of their hard-earned labor.

They have since formed the Mayuge District Farmers Association, (MDFA) which has grown from a membership of 500 in 2000 to over 20,000 to-date. Mr. Paul Ojikan the Coordinator of the Mayuga District Farmers Association who is also the Chairman of the National Soya bean Network the Association says that that the registered members work in 666 groups with 30 members each in eight sub-counties of Malongo, Kityerera, Imanyiro, Bukaboli, Buwaya, Busakira ,Kigandalo, and Mpungwe.

Originally formed to provide agricultural advisory services to improve food security at household levels for the members, MDFA has now organized smallholder farmers into marketing groups which are producing cash crops for particular markets. Two main crops, particularly the soya bean and maize were promoted for large scale commercial farming after a baseline survey which was conducted in 2007.

“ When farmers improved food security at the household level there was a surplus which required markets and thus the need to engage in farming as a business. But at the time, farmers faced challenges of limited access to; improved seeds , regular agricultural advisory services , lack of quality assurance facilities and reliable sustainable market for their farm produce and regular access to market information, “ Ojikan explains .

So we sought partners to help address the challenges which were hindering farmers’ productivity. “That’s why the leadership of Mayuge District Farmers’ Association made a decision to seek support from aBi-Trust which last year gave the Association an additional Shs. 444m grant to work on maize production, value addition, and collective marketing. On its part, the association had to contribute shs. 160M for a piece of land where a maize mill and offices will be erected to add value to the farmer’s crop and coordinate the activities of MDFA, respectively, “ Ojikan said.

With aBi-Trust ‘s support, major interventions were put in place which included among others, access to improved seeds, agricultural advisory services, market information from NARO which were distributed at the group level.
The extension field was also recruited to mobilise and train farmers in agronomic and post-harvest handling practices. Marketing committees of 5 people were set up in each group to carry out market research so that farmers get a fair price for the agricultural produce.

This offered a good opportunity for the farmers to bargain for a good price. . Between 2007-2013, at least 5,130 tons of soya beans were produced and sold by the members of the Mayuge District Farmers Association.
Farmers have since been encouraged to grow maize on a large scale because the huge demand for the grain on the market. But as farmers of Mayuge engaged in large sale farming, challenges emerged which needed immediate solutions to maintain a good maize value chain.
Other benefits from the aBi-Trust grant to the farmers of Mayuge include, training in agronomy, use of improved high yield maize and soya bean seeds, modern farming practices and proper utilization of farm inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. The association has also set up demonstration sites at group levels for farmers to appreciate and apply new farming technologies and methods that will help boost soya beans and maize production.

Along with the maize and soya bean value chain, with the interventions supported by aBiTrust, Ojikan said the farmers have also been trained in gender-related concepts where families, plan together, budget together, farm together and share the proceeds of their farm produce together. “Through the gender project, women have been given an opportunity to participate productively in agriculture to benefit both themselves and their respective families.

The old traditional practices where women were neglected or their contribution to farming was not recognized are now being abandoned to ensure equality, transparency, and accountability at the family level. This has greatly improved relations, reduced tensions, and gender-based violence and as a result, boosted production and family incomes.

With support from aBi-Trust and savings of the association, Ojikan said that the association has acquired, computers, 3 motorcycles, digital camera, 300 tumplines, 7 moisture meters, 4 standard weighing scales, 10 driers among others.

Demonstration centers have been set up where high yielding seeds are multiplied and 80% of the improved seed varieties re-distributed to farmers. Because there is increased farm produce, MDFA has had to link farmers to better markets by providing information about prices for agricultural produce on a regular basis. “ We collaborate with market service providers like Fit- Uganda, farm Gain and Agrinet to get accurate information about the prevailing market prices. This helps farmers to sell their produce at the right price and cut out the cheating middlemen,” Ojikan explains.

MDFA is also emphasizing on quality assurance which involves , getting the right seeds, engaging in better farming practices and post harvest handling to ensure quality crop yields for better rewarding markets for farmers products.

Indeed, MDFA has put in place structures where Community Change Agents (CCAs) who double as marketing committee members provide farmers with information on the prevailing market prices on a regular basis.
Village Saving and Loan Associations, (VSLA) have also been set up to promote the culture of saving and investment among farmers. There are now 300 VSLA in Mayuge where members save and loan to each other to increase farm production.

The farmers also collectively market their produce at established bulking centers and as a result, have a better bargaining power which fetches them better prices Again, aBi-Trust’s support has come in handy here, with the VSLA members being trained in financial literacy on how to keep records. Each VSLA is given ledger books, a stamp, inkpad and passbooks to keep proper accounts.
Through the Mainstreaming Gender in Soya Bean Value Chain project, families are trained to work together to realize and appreciate the role of women, youths and men in sustainable agricultural production with a focus on farming as a business.

But all is not rosy for the farmers of Mayuge. They still face big challenges like the effects of climate change which results in prolonged drought,. The cheating middlemen still exist and the many sugarcane plantations are a threat to food security in Mayuge.

msserwanga@gmail.com

Another Endorsement: Works & Transport Minister Transported to Work on Electric Bus

Uganda’s nascent electric vehicle industry received yet another endorsement on Friday morning when the minister of (Works and) Transport Gen Katumba Wamala chose to board its product, the Kayoola EVS on his way to work.

General Katumba who joined about 60 other passengers aboard the Kayoola EVS, boarded the electric bus operated by Kalita bus company at Bweyogerere, along the Northern Bypass for the 14 kilometre stretch to Busega.

Earlier last month, the minister for Science Technology and Innovation who make the buses under Kiira Motors Corporation, joined the public on the electric bus on the same route and gave the a service a nod of approval. 

After the maker minister, now the user minister has also given his endorsement of the product of Uganda’s young engineers, who design the electric buses and build them in collaboration with the industrial arm of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces, Luwero Industries in Nakasongola.

During the morning engagement with the public and other transport operators, General Katumba Katumba told taxi operators who are alarmed by the entry of the modern buses into the public transport sector, that mass transit is the way to go and there is no turning back .He advised them to prepare themselves to be able to fit in the changing transport landscape. 

Gen Katumba Wamala paying his transport fare on the Kayoola Electric bus while on his way to work Friday morning

The general assured the taxi operators that the government is pushing ahead with mass transit projects including the urban service train system. In addition to the Namanve – City centre train which Katumba says carries the equivalent of passengers for 65 taxis, the government is in final stages of instituting another urban rail route connecting the city centre and Kyengera on the populous western flank of Kampala.

The transport revolution in Kampala has been triggered by Kiira Motors Corporation’s release of ultra modern buses that are a hundred percent electric powered and also clean low emission diesel buses. 

So far, Kampala Capital City Authority has licensed two transport companies to operate the clean buses; Kalita which is on the 22 kilometre Busega – Bweyogerere high speed bypass and Tondeka on the circular City Square – Nakawa – Ntinda – Wangeya route.

Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) is 100% government owned between STI (96%) and Makerere University (4%). KMC has been building the buses it designs in the military workshop in Luwero Industries, but will later next year shift its works to its new plant being constructed in Jinja. KMC has orders for over 1,000 buses, both low emission diesel and fully electric ones.