The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Leveraging the Power of Partnerships in Science, Technology and Innovation to foster Socio-Economic Transformation: The Road Ahead
COMMENT | ANDREW BESI | “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – Sir Arthur C Clarke
The name Dr. Monica Musenero evokes mixed emotions amongst many Ugandans. For some, she is, in an often ignoramus manner, scolded for purchasing lab mice during our Covid-19 lock down. For others, she is a representation of our country’s ambitions to place Science, Technology and Innovation at the centre of our aspirations to attain universal socio-economic transformation.
Whichever way one chooses to think of Dr. Musenero, there is no denying that in our pharmacies, one seldom finds cutting edge drugs manufactured in Uganda. On our roads, one is hard placed to find modern electric vehicles manufactured by us. The idea of smart homes – embracing the latest digital technologies – seems to be out of reach for many realtors. In other words, as Dr. Musenero puts it: “Science and economics are not speaking and linking together.”
Indeed, it would seem, if one opts to listen to certain officials, that the magic of technology is limited to extending fiber optic cables to district headquarters and mobile phone penetration by MTN, Airtel, Lycamobile etc.
The silver lining: Individuals such as Ambassador Robbie Kakonge, understanding the role of Digital Technologies in today’s world, have opted to use our foreign missions as cynosures of efforts to foster partnerships between Ugandan techpreneurs and foreign corporations with the goal of linking Science and Economics.
The recent Roundtable Breakfast Conversation on ICTs; organised by Ambassador Kakonge; amongst techpreneurs such as Diana Ninsiima – Kibuuka, state officials such as Dr. Musenero, High Commissioner Paul Amoru and Prof. Charles Kwesiga of Uganda Industrial Research Institute together with United States Ambassador – William W Popp at the Diaspora Conference at Speke Resort Munyonyo is cause for optimism that the magic of advanced digital technologies will bear good fruit for Uganda.
How? As noted by Ambassador Popp, the ICT sector and therefore; the Science, Technology and Innovation sector; has the “unique ability to bridge gaps in access to quality healthcare, education and financial services.” It has been shown to create “pathways to inclusive development.”
In other words, through initiatives such as the Uganda -US Diaspora IT Professionals: Ambassadors Roundtable Breakfast, we can re-orient our academia such that academic potential and excellence moves from peer reviewed journals to economic application (industrialization & value addition, e-commerce, green financing etc) and ultimately socio-economic transformation.
Already, sitting on 65,000 square meters of land at Kakira Industrial Park in Jinja, Kiira Motors Corporation is competitively demonstrating that “advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” through their production of the Kayoola range of fully Electric Buses.
Economic opportunities, through partnerships not limited to Ugandans in the diaspora, exist in the 100 acre bio-genetics park, the Climate Tech Incubator project etc etc.
The road ahead might just be a good one.
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The writer is a Pan African based in Kampala
On X: @BesiAndrew
