Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth has challenged Uganda’s universities to turn their research into practical solutions that shape government policy, proposing that research institutions become “action tanks” rather than places where findings end up only in academic journals.
Oboth was chief guest and keynote speaker at the Science Meets Parliament Dialogue at Kyambogo University on Thursday, November 12. The dialogue ran under the theme “Strengthening the Interface between Science, Policy, and Practice for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation in Uganda.”
Vice Chancellor Prof Eli Katunguka described the visit as the first by a sitting Speaker since the university was established in 2003.
The dialogue brought together members of Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, chaired by Amelia Kyambadde, and its Science, Technology and Innovation Committee, chaired by Opio Achut, along with MPs from several constituencies. Oboth reported full attendance from the six members invited from each committee.
The Speaker noted agriculture’s importance to jobs, food security and the economy, while acknowledging persistent problems with low productivity, limited value addition, climate change and poor market access.
Kyambogo’s asks
Prof Katunguka used the visit to press Parliament on funding and staffing.
Research money. Kyambogo now has Shs4 billion for research: Shs1 billion from its own revenue and Shs3 billion newly allocated by government. Katunguka welcomed the increase but said it is still not enough for the university’s research and innovation plans.
Longer funding cycles. He asked Parliament to stretch research funding cycles to at least two years. Under the current one-year system, he said, researchers struggle to finish projects and account for the money in time.
Staffing. The university operates at only about 34 to 35% of its required staffing, which affects teaching, research and other academic work. Katunguka said Kyambogo struggles to keep highly qualified staff, especially PhD holders in engineering and science, who are lured away by better-paying private employers.
From the lab to the farm
Katunguka said universities must shift from research aimed mainly at publication to research that solves problems, informs policy and improves livelihoods, particularly for smallholder farmers.
He highlighted Kyambogo’s partnership with Makerere University, Gulu University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences through the East African Agroforestry 2030 Hub, which links agricultural research with policy and practice. The university also plans to:
- Set up a Centre of Excellence for turning research into practical solutions and public policy
- Strengthen practical and entrepreneurial training so graduates can move into processing, product development and selling, not just primary production
- Push for a structured platform linking researchers with MPs and parliamentary committees
The Speaker’s pledges
Oboth acknowledged that research institutions have long been underfunded, and said world-class innovation needs proper investment in scientists, researchers and universities. In response to Katunguka’s concerns about managing the extra research money, he pledged to explore ways to help Kyambogo use its research funds effectively.
He also called for research into why Uganda’s agricultural policies and scientific recommendations so often fail to turn into action, despite the country having the expertise and institutions to deliver them.
The Speaker committed to:
- Working with parliamentary committees to make debates, oversight and decisions more evidence-based
- Using Parliament’s powers over laws, oversight and budgets to tackle the administrative, financial and institutional barriers holding back agricultural transformation
- Making sure research and government programmes improve farmers’ livelihoods, raise productivity and strengthen food security, especially for smallholder farmers
“Petition Parliament”
Oboth invited scientists, researchers and farming practitioners to formally petition Parliament with evidence of gaps in policy or implementation, so MPs can investigate and push for corrective action.
He commended Kyambogo, Gulu and Makerere universities and international partners, including Sweden’s development agency SIDA, for supporting research collaboration in agriculture.
Should Parliament fund university research for longer than a year at a time? Tell us. @campusbee.ug
