Minister for Science Implores Makerere University to Concentrate on Transformative Research 

By Sadique Bamwita 

Kampala 

The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, has implored management of Makerere University to concentrate much on transformative research that provides market solutions to the country’s economy. He sounded the call on July 22,2026, during his inspection tour at Makerere University School Of public Health.

The minister said available info indicate that most undergraduate students do good research but unfortunately it is never implemented in the business sector. ” I have realized many researchers do research for publications and don’t indicate how their research is going to transform the economy. Therefore, Innovation must translate into commercialization,” Minister Asiimwe implored researchers.

Minister Asiimwe, who spent hours at Makerere University inspecting science facilities including; Food Technology and Business incubation centre, College of Natural Science, and the school of Public Health, revealed that most of his time will be spent in the field to check on the research projects so as to establish if the research projects if they are viable to the market.

In his debrief, Minister Asiimwe told the press that he is impressed with the science and innovation going on at Makerere University, urging University scientists and innovators to align their science with the president’s vision of creating a 500 billion USD economy. He, however said to achieve this, there is need to support young innovators to move fast so as to match with the desired pace.

 Eng. Asiimwe also revealed that government plans to protect intellectual property of Ugandan scientists who make their own property. He believes this will greatly help to improve their products on the market. Minister Asiimwe reminded scientists that in this term “No more sleep” commercialization is going to be the topic of day and appealed to them not to sleep on their scientific discoveries.

” I don’t want to see any scientists sleeping on his scientific discovery but we are interested in showing us how the problem is being solved. We need research which is marketable in our ecosystem, ” Minister Asiimwe said. In his concluding remarks, Minister Asiimwe, noted that innovation is not about biology, physics or chemistry but it’s about solving a problem and make people live well and create a money economy.

The Executive Director Infectious Disease Institute (IDI) Makerere University, Dr. Andrew Kambugu, told the minister that every year his institute raises 70 million USD adding that as the institute they’re focusing on creating scientific leaders. The principal College of Health Science at Makerere University, Dr.Bruce Kirenga informed the minister that the college has over 3500 science students and that 60% of the teaching happens in hospitals.