In a resounding declaration of commitment to revitalizing the engineering sector, the Deputy Speaker for Parliament Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa has embarked on a fervent campaign to propel innovation and quality in the industry.
Unveiling his strategic blueprint during a momentous occasion, Hon. Tayebwa took center stage at the prestigious National Technology Conference and Exhibition (NTCE) on August 17th at the illustrious Hotel Africana in Kampala.
The two-day event, organized under the auspices of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE) in collaboration with close partners, is centered around the theme “Tapping Engineering Opportunities for Accelerated African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).”
The purpose of the event is to share lessons and experiences from engineering experts across various disciplines, aiming to accelerate the progress of the AfCFTA.
In the presence of esteemed professional engineers from Uganda and abroad, as well as representatives from manufacturing institutions, construction companies, private and public sector organizations, and academia, the Deputy Speaker emphasized the urgency to reform engineering practices and eliminate the corrosive impact of corruption.
He encouraged participants to harness the potential of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which he regarded as the foundation of innovative advancements in the engineering sector.
Through strong collaboration among stakeholders, Rt. Hon. Tayebwa highlighted the potential for groundbreaking innovations. Additionally, he generously donated UGX 50 million in cash to the engineers’ Sacco.
“I would urge you as engineers to put innovation at the center of whatever you are doing. Don’t be flat.You need to innovate in terms of enabling our community,” eemphasized Rt.Hon. Tayebwa.
“We lack collaboration, we look at each other as competitors instead of collaborators, then we look for people outside our continent as collaborators but for us as Africans we look at ourselves as competitors and we end up loosing up,” he said.
“58 percent of German exports are coming from small scale medium and small scale industries. Now, this is where we could fit, our innovation can fit, this is where we can survive, if you look at a country like India I think around 66 percent of their economy is based on the coded industry, this is where we could fit. This is only possible if we collaborate, if we create synergies,” he added.
Hon. Tayebwa further challenged engineers to communicate to the public the reasons behind the excessive costs associated with essential infrastructural projects such as roads, which ultimately burden taxpayers with a significant financial toll. He cautioned that engineers involved in corruption would face severe consequences.
He highlighted that this remark was connected to the recent World Bank report, which identified the Entebbe Express Highway in Uganda as the world’s most costly road project, amounting to a staggering $476 million. Notably, the road incurred an astonishing expense of $9.2 million per kilometer, significantly exceeding the average cost of $2 million per kilometer for road construction.
“The issue of corruption that has led to shoddy works, that has claimed lives. I can promise you, General I hope you put stringent penalties for engineers who do shoddy work,” warned Hon.Tayebwa.
Gen. Katumba Wamala, the Minister for Works and Transport, expressed his ministry’s strong commitment to advancing indigenous innovative solutions to address local challenges.
He also offered guidance to foreign engineers who were present, encouraging them to explore various locations across the country. This, he noted, would contribute to the growth of the tourism industry.
“We will also be able to see firsthand interesting innovations and homemade products in the exhibition area from our people which should be applauded. As a Ministry, we are very keen to encourage homegrown innovations and solutions to address our local challenges. We should use every opportunity at our disposal to run a government to support such important initiatives,” asserted Gen. Wamala.
“For our foreign delegates. I would like to welcome you to Uganda the Pearl of Africa that I encourage you to find time to visit some of our gifted sites in this nation don’t rush back home. You need to relax. So take a time and relax a bit and be able to visit some of the sites around,” he added.
Steven Asiimwe, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), informed participants that his organization is fully dedicated to going above and beyond its capabilities to elevate Uganda’s engineering sector.
This commitment, he said, encompasses endeavors such as securing funding to support innovative solutions and ensuring that these inventive products find a viable market both domestically and internationally.
“PSU is committed to doing four things. Number one: policy and advocacy for you the private sector, number two: to support and give you business development services. Number three: to give you skills and capacity building blocks, number four: to create partnerships that will then bring you into having access to these markets,” Asiimwe said.
The event also encompasses individuals showcasing their accomplishments and capabilities in contributing to the field of engineering, benefiting from an organization (UIPE) that brings together engineers, presidents, and chairpersons of the engineering community.
Representatives from various engineering institutions patiently occupy their stalls, eagerly anticipating the dignitaries’ visits to witness the remarkable products they have developed throughout their journey of innovation.
For instance, Audrey Nakimuli, the marketing assistant for Hima Cement, expressed to this publication the significance of the exhibition and the event as a whole.
She highlighted that it provides a crucial platform to spotlight the diverse products produced by Hima, which were previously unfamiliar to the public, on top of serving as an opportunity to educate attendees about the utilization of these products.
“Depending on what has been happening, around, I would say that we have really benefited because most people didn’t know that these products were there. They had less knowledge about it. And we got a chance of acknowledging it and letting more people know that the product is around and they can call and order,” said Nakimuli.
Kamalha Joram, a civil engineer at Uganda Baati, emphasized that the event offers them a platform to further elucidate the usage of remarkable products that their represented organization has introduced, such as the highly durable and flexible SAF build and ultra span.
The latter, as a substitute for wooden construction poles contributes to the promotion of environmentally friendly practices, a strategy that averts deforestation to acquire poles, hence combating climate change.
Of noteworthy mention, AfCFTA unites 1.3 billion people across the continent, boasting a GDP of $3.4 trillion. This scenario presents untapped prospects for Uganda’s thriving engineering sector, given that the country currently exploits only 62 percent of the available markets within this region.
Consequently, the conference serves as a clarion call for engineers to seize these remarkable opportunities and harness their potential to the fullest.
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