Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (Uganda),Ms Monica Musenero has revealed that the government is intensifying efforts to link science education with industrial development as part of a broader strategy to create jobs and expand value-added manufacturing.
Speaking to journalists in Kampala, she noted that science has traditionally been viewed narrowly, with career paths often limited to medical fields such as nursing, laboratory work, and clinical practice.
She urged Ugandans to embrace a wider range of scientific opportunities, including research, pharmaceutical production, and industrial innovation.
“What if we are also making the medicines?” she asked, highlighting the need for scientists who discover, test, and manufacture products.
She pointed to Agro‑industrialisation as a sector with vast potential for job creation.
Using cassava as an example, she explained that value addition could transform the crop from subsistence farming into high‑end industrial products.
“We are making glucose and maltose from cassava, and that requires many more people than just digging in the field,” she said.
The Minister expressed concern about declining student enrolment in science subjects over the past decade, urging young people to reconsider their value.
She emphasized that scientific knowledge provides analytical skills applicable across professions, from accounting to engineering.
Musenero also defended the relevance of concepts taught in schools, noting that practical applications are often overlooked.
“If you do not know how to calculate the volume of a cone, then you cannot design cone‑shaped structures in factories or airplanes,” she explained.
She welcomed ongoing curriculum reforms led by the Ministry of Education, which emphasize practical application and problem‑solving. The reforms, already introduced at lower secondary levels, are being extended to higher institutions of learning.
“Our curriculum is good, but we did not link it to industry and practical skills. That is what government is healing,” she said.
Musenero added that Uganda’s industrialisation agenda, including projects such as Kira Motors, will require a large skilled workforce. She urged universities to prepare for students trained under the revised curriculum, which prioritizes industry relevance and innovation.