MPs Urge Parliament to Procure Kiira Motors Buses for Oversight Duties

Members of Parliament have urged the legislature to procure locally manufactured buses from Kiira Motors for its official oversight visits. The recommendation forms part of a broader push by lawmakers for government institutions to champion local innovations by actively becoming buyers.

During a parliamentary sitting chaired by Speaker Jacob Oboth, the Chairperson of the House Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Samuel Opio, presented a report highlighting a persistent gap between technological development and market integration.

“There is low uptake of technology by the public sector, for example Kiira Motors. We have recommended that Parliament should use these buses in our oversight,” Opio stated.

Lawmakers echoed the need to translate heavy public investments in research into sustainable businesses, patents, and job creation. Kitgum Municipality MP, Hon. Denis Oneka Lit, recalled the early days of the vehicle innovation project at Makerere University and noted the visible progress of eco-buses operating on Kampala streets.

Despite receiving significant state funding over the past decade, institutions like Kiira Motors and the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development face scrutiny regarding their commercial sustainability and revenue returns. Some MPs cautioned against continuous funding without strict supervision and measurable outcomes.

Shadow Minister for Science and Technology, Dr. Eunice Otuko, pressed for accountability regarding public expenditure, asking where the resulting jobs and patents are located. Meanwhile, other legislators advocated for competitive commercialisation funds to support student inventions emerging from regional universities.

Responding on behalf of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Health Minister Hon. Chris Baryomunsi acknowledged the critical need to transition innovations from laboratory research into viable commercial products in the open market.

Read more details on the Parliament of Uganda.