MUNI UNIVERSITY SEEKS SHS5 BILLION TO SCALE UP RESEARCH INNOVATIONS

Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Inspects innovations invented by students and beneficiaries of MUNRIF at the University. Photo// Dramadri Federick

By Dramadri Federick

Arua City

Muni University is seeking Shillings 5 billion from the government to scale up industrial production and commercialization of research innovations developed by the institution, citing inadequate funding and limited laboratory facilities.

The university says the current Shillings 1.5 billion government grant provided under the University Research and Innovations Fund is insufficient to transform promising research ideas into marketable products and technologies capable of competing internationally.

Speaking during a visit by the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe, to the university, Professor Robert Kajobe, the Director of Graduate Training, Research and Innovations, said the limited funding has constrained the institution’s ability to develop innovations beyond experimental and prototype stages.

Kajobe said increasing the allocation to Shillings 5 billion would enable the university to acquire modern research equipment, strengthen laboratory facilities and establish production systems to translate scientific discoveries into practical solutions for communities.

He added that universities require substantial investment to undertake high-impact research, compete with internationally recognised institutions and develop innovations that can address pressing social and economic challenges.

“if the University for the start can be able to get at least 5billion Ugandan shillings as opposed to 1.2billion shillings per year, then these technologies that are on protypes can be able to move to the next stage and can be able to be commercialized and taken to the market”. Kajobe urges

Meanwhile, Hillary Edema, the Senior Laboratory technician at the university’s faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, says inadequate laboratory equipment remains a major obstacle to research and innovation in Ugandan universities.

He explains that many researchers lack access to specialized equipment and modern laboratory facilities required to test, refine and validate their innovations before commercial production.

“Most of the equipment and reagents we use here are imported including other consumables coupled with increasing number of students who are all thinking about innovating something, it has affected us with the limited budgets”. Edema noted

Some of the university’s innovators have also called for increased financial support, saying limited capital is preventing them from transforming research theories and experimental discoveries into functional products.

They argue that government funding should extend beyond research to cover product development, testing, patenting and industrial production to ensure locally developed technologies benefit communities.

Innovation funding faces accountability questions

The university’s funding appeal comes amid wider concerns over the management of Uganda’s Science, Technology and Innovation funds.

An Auditor General’s 2025 report identified significant accountability gaps, irregular grant allocations and delayed disbursements within the national STI funding system.

The audit flagged Shillings 3.46 billion irregularly awarded to five applicants who were either ineligible or unsuccessful, while another Shillings 3.12 billion was allocated to seven companies beyond their recommended budgets.

The report also identified Shillings 111.99 billion in delayed disbursements to subvention institutions, raising concerns about the timely release of resources intended to support research and innovation.

Separately, parliamentary scrutiny raised concerns over approximately Shillings 46 billion in innovation funding that remained unutilised or unreleased to intended beneficiaries, including Shillings 25 billion earmarked for anti-tick vaccine trials.

The findings have intensified calls for stronger oversight, transparency and accountability in the management of public resources allocated to scientific research and technological development.

Muni University wins continental recognition

Despite the funding challenges, Muni University continues to gain recognition for its contribution to higher education and institutional transformation.

In September 2026, the university received the inaugural Africa Higher Education for Transformation Prize, valued at three million US dollars, approximately Shillings 11.7 billion.

Established by the Mastercard Foundation, the award was presented at a ceremony in Accra, Ghana.

Muni University was recognised as the only Ugandan institution among five universities across Africa to receive the inaugural award.

The recognition highlights the university’s growing continental profile and the importance of investing in research, innovation and academic development.

The university’s Research Dissemination and Exhibition also provides a platform for showcasing research activities and recognising individual contributions to knowledge production through its Researcher of the Year awards.

Government responds

Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation

In response to the funding concerns, Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, said government is working to strengthen the capacity of public institutions to develop solutions addressing the country’s development needs.

Asiimwe said government is also pursuing measures to create opportunities for commercialization of locally developed innovations, enabling universities to move beyond academic research and contribute directly to industrial development and economic transformation.

“We are tired of having many prototypes in the laboratories of Universities and that’s why government is injecting money into these innovations. If a university cannot address the challenges of its surrounding community, and sell the innovations through commercialization, then we are wasting our time.” Asiimwe said.

Muni University says increased investment in research and innovation would strengthen its academic competitiveness, support locally manufactured technologies, create employment opportunities and improve access to affordable solutions for communities.

The university maintains that adequate financing, modern laboratory facilities and opportunities for industrial-scale production are essential to transforming research discoveries into commercially viable products.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis