Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa chaired the session By Prisca WanyenyaParliament’s Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) has admitted it cannot trace any financial returns Uganda has earned from its innovations, despite government’s target to earn US$10 billion (Shs41.75 trillion) from the sector by 2030.The revelation was made by Dr. Samuel Opio, Chairperson of the Committee, while presenting a status report on the performance of the STI sector during the plenary sitting on October 20, 2026.“We observed that whereas we have a target of US$10 billion by 2030, we could not trace how much of that has been achieved right now because of limited traceability mechanisms. We have the Banana Project, Shs311 billion over the last 20 years, Kiira Motors Shs233 billion over the last 12 years, but these projects have remained as innovation projects. Moving them into sustainable, self-sustaining entities is a challenge. There is a risk of over-dependence, where entities focus more on grant acquisition than on research and development output,” Opio said.The Committee said it undertook the assessment to establish the readiness and progress of the STI sub-sector in achieving its targets under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which projects that STI products will contribute US$10 billion to the economy by 2030.Parliament was also informed that Uganda’s global innovation ranking has declined. Under the Global Innovation Index, which measures inputs and outputs, Uganda ranked 124 out of 139 countries in 2025, down from 102 in 2019.“Our performance score has also dropped. We were at 25.6% in 2019, now we are at 17.1%. What does that show? It means we are investing a lot in innovations, but these innovations are not bringing the desired outputs. A lot of research is stuck in the lab; it is not being commercialised and brought to market to enable us to achieve the gains we need,” Opio said.The Committee also decried low technology adoption, calling on the public sector to lead in using locally manufactured innovations.“When you look at just the agricultural sector, the National Agricultural Research Organisation has 40 varieties of seeds, but Uganda Bureau of Statistics indicates that 96% of farmers are still using traditional seeds. Our uptake of technology is very low. We still use the hand hoe – a 17th-century innovation,” Opio said.He added: “We have recommended that even the public sector should adopt some of these technologies. Even as Parliament, now that Kiira Motors has buses, we should procure some of these buses and coasters and use them for our oversight visits so we can demonstrate technology in the public sector.”The Committee called for urgent reforms to Uganda’s STI legislative framework. Opio noted that the sector is still governed by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology Act of 1990.“The science of 1990 is no longer the same as the science of 2026. The law is outdated and cannot address issues in emerging technologies. We also have the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy last reviewed in 2009 – it is also archaic and needs to be revised. The innovation funds provided by the Ministry currently have no legal framework, so there are risks of the Ministry of Finance not making releases, as happened in FY 2023/24, because they are not statutory obligations,” he said.The assessment also revealed severe staffing gaps. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation has an approved structure of 151 staff but only 22 are in post – a 15.9% staffing level – making adequate policy oversight and supervision difficult.The Committee further faulted the continued sidelining of the informal sector, noting that innovators in Katwe who make brake pads, motor vehicle spare parts and machines are not adequately catered for within the innovation ecosystem, yet they play a significant role in the economy.“We need the informal sector to be supported and considered. We have noted that as a country we have increased budget allocations to research and development. However, the private sector, which can also contribute to R&D, is not adequately incentivised. In other jurisdictions, when you invest in R&D, you get a tax credit where a percentage of your overall tax is deducted to encourage research and development activities,” Opio said. The post Parliament Fails to Trace Returns on Uganda’s Shs544bn Innovation Projects appeared first on Business Focus.