Uganda is set to showcase one of its most ambitious scientific milestones yet, a made-in-Uganda electric bus that will be driven from Kampala to Cape Town as part of a continental visibility campaign.
This move is championed by the Minister for Science, Technology, and Innovation in the Office of the President, Dr Monica Musenero Musanza.
She said the initiative marks a defining moment for the country’s innovation ecosystem and demonstrates Uganda’s growing capacity in electric mobility. Speaking at the fourth SilverBack Awards held at Golf Course Hotel on Saturday last week, Dr Musenero announced that on November 20, Uganda will flag off the Made in Uganda for Africa Expedition (MIE), a journey designed to showcase the country’s engineering achievements across six countries.
‘We are flagging off something fundamental and phenomenal. Uganda now has the largest, most competent, and most capable electric vehicle manufacturing facility on the African continent. And we will be driving a made-in-Uganda electric bus from Kampala to Cape Town,’ she said.
Mr Paul Isaac Musasizi, the chief executive officer of Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), said the roadshow to Cape Town, South Africa, will cover 13,000 km, passing through Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa. The journey begins in Kampala and heads south through the Mutukula border point into Tanzania. Along the route, the team has identified 52 charging points, including those for the return trip.
Although the bus typically covers 570 km on a single charge, Mr Musasizi said they plan to recharge after every 400km as a precaution, given the long-distance testing. He adds that the month-long journey aims to secure 1,000 new bus orders from the countries where they will stop and exhibit.
An advance team has already been dispatched to prepare the route. The roadshow team will include three drivers and several mechanics.
Dr Musenero said the expedition will showcase a range of locally developed innovations, from advanced electronics and unique mobile phones to high-quality industrial products, highlighting Uganda’s growing competitiveness in technology and manufacturing.
‘People from Europe and America have seen these buses and asked, ‘Is this really made here?’ Yes, it is,’ she emphasised, saying the quality meets global standards. The upcoming continental bus journey, Dr Musenero said, is the latest step in proving that Uganda’s innovation sector is maturing.
She admitted, however, that Uganda’s progress has not been well-communicated, and urged advertising agencies to help promote the country’s scientific breakthroughs. ‘I was shocked that the best communicators in this country were unaware of these developments.
But now you can’t say you don’t know, you know,’ she tells them. The MIE expedition, seeks to build a strong innovation identity for Uganda by unifying all value-added products under the ‘Made in Uganda’ s brand.
‘If you talk about innovation, it is science, technology, and innovation. We are passionate, and you (advertisers) are going to be part of this journey,’ she said.
At the same event, Mr Preetesh Sewraj, CEO of the Loerie Awards Company NPC-Africa and Middle East, said the region is paying close attention to Uganda’s technological rise and its potential to drive economic transformation. ‘The communication industry is the catalyst that moves innovation forward. It is what will help take this sector where it needs to go,’ he says.
Background
Uganda first ventured into electric mobility with the Kiira EV, developed by staff and students at Makerere University’s College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), and launched by President Museveni in 2011.