By Alex Baite
The Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) has sworn in a new board of directors, with retired General Ivan Koreta appointed as the new chairperson in what observers say could be a move to tighten oversight at the troubled parastatal.
The swearing-in ceremony, which was held on Friday at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC), was presided over by Her Worship Harriet Ssali, the Registrar of Special Duties.
Other board members include Ms Jolly Kamugisha Kaguhangire, Dr. Catherine Wandera, Ms. Magdalene Akite, and Dr. Joshua Mutambi.
Minister of State for Trade Hon. David Bahati welcomed the members, urging them to provide strong leadership and help reposition UIRI as a driver of Uganda’s industrialisation agenda.
“We expect this board to give its utmost commitment to steering UIRI to deliver on its mandate of driving industrialisation through innovation and research,” Bahati said.
UIRI, a government parastatal under MTIC, is mandated to spearhead industrial development through research, innovation, value addition, process design, technology sourcing, SME support, and business incubation.
However, the institute has in recent years been dogged by allegations of mismanagement, intrigue, and stagnation.
The appointment of Gen. Koreta comes against a backdrop of mounting concerns about UIRI’s leadership under Executive Director Prof. Charles Kwesiga.
For years, Prof. Kwesiga has been accused of defying board directives and running the institution with a “big-headed” approach.
His administration has faced allegations of malfeasance, internal wrangles, and failure to deliver on key industrial research targets.
Government audit reports and parliamentary committee findings have repeatedly flagged governance and accountability gaps at UIRI.
In past reviews, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) raised concerns over poor financial management, stalled projects, and underutilisation of funds.
The Auditor General’s report also questioned UIRI’s failure to operationalise multimillion-dollar equipment meant to support small and medium enterprises.
In 2022, Parliament’s Committee on Trade warned that persistent internal fights and lack of strategic direction were crippling the institute’s ability to contribute meaningfully to Uganda’s industrialisation efforts.