This afternoon, I was warmly welcomed in Kikwite, Hoima City. Thank you for the warm welcome. I am here to represent H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the installation of Pastor Anatoli Mugenyi as President of the Western Uganda Field of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

We are working on IP registration. Young people should be able to make money from their ideas. It is important for people aged 25 to 45 to be actively involved in generating income. Our focus here is to ensure that young people below the age of 40 are involved in building their country. With this, we shall be able to realise the $500 billion economy. Reciting the $500 billion economy is not very enticing, but the methodology is much more important. @STIsecretariat

Uganda is a perl of Africa. From the cool morning mist over our great lakes to the golden rhythm of the evening breeze, Uganda is more than a place on a map—it is a feeling of home. It is the laughter in the bustling streets, the grace of the crested crane, the rich green of the land, and a spirit that welcomes the world with open hands. May your beauty ever flourish, your peace ever deepen, and your story continue to inspire the world. For God and my Country." @PNyamutoro @STIsecretariat @JonardPost @ubctvuganda

EN ROUTE TO HOIMA FOR THE INSTALLATION OF PR. ANATOLE MUGENYI ABWOOLI Heading to Hoima to represent H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, at the installation ceremony of Pr. Anatole Mugenyi Abwooli as President of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church’s Western Uganda Field, serving nine districts and one city in Bunyoro.

Today, I am in Sheema District at the TRIDI sericulture facility, where I met with the district leadership and local community to assess the status of silk production and the prospects for its commercialisation. Sheema has historically been a hub for sericulture, with the industry providing employment, household incomes and opportunities for local enterprise. However, the suspension of operations has disrupted livelihoods and left valuable production infrastructure and skills underutilised. I was informed that several community members had undergone specialised training in silk production and factory machinery operations, yet are now unable to put those skills to productive use. The community expressed a strong desire to see operations restored, with greater local participation in project management and the development of reliable markets for silk products, including access to export markets. As the STI secretary, our immediate priority must be to establish what is required to resume production, assess the operational readiness of the factory, and address the gaps in market access. I will be engaging the technical team and project management on a practical recovery and commercialisation plan that brings the existing infrastructure, trained workforce and local producers back into productive activity.

Today, I am visiting the Rubare Sericulture and Apiculture Project in Sheema District to review its status and discuss the way forward. The project was established to improve people’s livelihoods. My priority is to support its revival, bring stakeholders together and restore confidence, while ensuring that the resources already invested in the silk project are put to productive use. The people of Sheema have a strong attachment to the project, which they say was brought to the district about 10 years ago. Their commitment makes it important for us to work together to find a clear path forward.

The Northern Uganda to drive more innovations. @STIsecretariat @Parliament_Ug

Today, I had the pleasure of joining leaders from across Northern Uganda in Gulu for the Northern Uganda Leaders’ Consultative Meeting under the Pearl of Africa Innovation Series (PAIS). The engagement brought together leaders to discuss how we can harness science, technology and innovation to transform our communities, create wealth, generate employment and contribute to Uganda’s socio-economic development. My message was clear: Northern Uganda has enormous potential, and we must turn that potential into tangible opportunities for our people. Science, technology and innovation must not remain concepts discussed in meeting rooms. They must become practical tools that address the challenges our communities face, improve productivity, strengthen local industries and create sustainable livelihoods. As the Minister in the Office of the President in Charge of Science, Technology and Innovation, I emphasised the importance of bringing leaders together to identify regional priorities, build partnerships and develop solutions that respond to the needs of our people. Northern Uganda’s transformation requires deliberate collaboration between leaders, government institutions, innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs and the private sector. By working together, we can identify the region’s opportunities, support homegrown innovations and ensure that our people benefit from the knowledge, technologies and resources available to us. The Pearl of Africa Innovation Series provides an important platform for these conversations, allowing leaders to contribute ideas, share perspectives and explore practical ways of using innovation to advance regional and national development. I believe that innovation must be connected to wealth creation, job opportunities, industrial growth and improved livelihoods. We must encourage our young people to develop solutions, support entrepreneurs to turn ideas into viable enterprises, and create an environment where science and technology contribute directly to economic growth. Northern Uganda must be an active participant in Uganda’s transformation. The region has people, resources, ideas and opportunities that can contribute significantly to our national development if we strengthen collaboration and make strategic use of science, technology and innovation. I appreciate all the leaders who participated in this consultative engagement and contributed to the discussions. Our responsibility now is to build on these conversations, strengthen partnerships and work towards practical outcomes that make a meaningful difference in the lives of our people. The future we want will not be built by ideas alone. It will be built by turning those ideas into action, creating opportunities and ensuring that innovation works for every Ugandan. @STIsecretariat

The gathering reflects a shared commitment to strengthening leadership collaboration and harnessing science, technology and innovation to drive regional development and Uganda’s socio-economic transformation. Perl of Africa Innovations Series Northern Uganda Kick off. @STIsecretariat @Parliament_Ug

*LEADERS UNITED FOR NORTHERN UGANDA’S INNOVATION FUTURE* Leaders from across Northern Uganda converge in Gulu for the Northern Uganda Leaders’ Consultative Meeting under the Pearl of Africa Innovation Series (PAIS), graced by Hon.Eng.Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, Minister in the Office of the President in Charge of Science, Technology and Innovation. The engagement aims to strengthen collaboration and explore how science, technology and innovation can accelerate regional transformation, wealth creation and Uganda’s socio-economic development.

*NORTHERN UGANDA LEADERS’ CONSULTATIVE MEETING | PAIS* Today in Gulu, Northern Uganda, leaders converge under the Pearl of Africa Innovation Series (PAIS) for a consultative engagement focused on harnessing science, technology and innovation to drive regional transformation and national development. The meeting will be graced by Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, Minister in the Office of the President in Charge of Science, Technology and Innovation, as Guest of Honour. Together, let us shape a future driven by innovation, collaboration and sustainable development.

Preparations are underway in Gulu as leaders arrive for the Northern Uganda Leaders’ Consultative Meeting under the Pearl of Africa Innovation Series (PAIS), ahead of the arrival of the Guest of Honour and the official host, Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki. The meeting brings together leaders to deliberate on how science, technology and innovation can drive regional transformation and national development.

When work calls first,Sericulture to be revamped @STIsecretariat

EXPLORING SILK PRODUCTION AND INNOVATION IN KWEEN DISTRICT I visited Chepsukunya Silk Farm and Factory in Kween District, gaining insights into sericulture and the potential of silk production in Uganda. Through science, technology and innovation, Uganda can unlock new opportunities in silk production, support local enterprises, create employment and drive sustainable wealth creation.

Today in Kween District, I met with the Sericulture Project Directors, district leadership and technical staff to review progress in the implementation of the silk industrial development project. I also took time to walk through the mulberry fields to assess crop growth and actual yields, visited the silkworm rearing facilities to examine production progress and quality, and inspected the products being developed along the silk value chain. Importantly, I wanted to hear directly from the local community about their experiences with the project, the opportunities it presents and the areas where they require further technical guidance and support from the STI Secretariat and Government. Our interest is not simply in growing mulberry or producing silk, but in developing a commercially viable industry with a strong local value chain, from cultivation and silkworm rearing to processing and finished products. This is central to our STI mandate: translating research and innovation into industrial production, creating markets for local producers, generating employment and ensuring that the economic benefits of industrialisation reach the communities participating in it.