Kampala, Uganda | The Black Examiner – The Deputy speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has donated 50million shillings to the Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers SACCO.
The money has been handed over in cash at the opening of the two-day 2023 National Technology Conference and Exhibition (NTCE) organized by the Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers (UIPE) that has brought over 500 engineers, stakeholders, students, and the public from the African continent.
Speaking at the conference at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Thursday, Tayebwa urged the engineers to believe in themselves and work towards the growth and expansion of the SACCO as a source of wealth creation.
He further challenged engineers to put innovation at the center of their work adding that it is through innovation that the African Continent will find homegrown solutions to its challenges, especially in the road and construction sector.
The Deputy Speaker cited an example of Entebbe Expressway, a 53km Highway with four lanes. About $9 million was spent per kilometer, which brought the total cost to $476 million. While Kenya’s Thika Highway is 50km long, eight lanes cost about $7.2m per kilometer, with a total cost of $360 million.
He said the profession will have to take a more strategic and holistic approach to managing and developing national infrastructure projects to help address such challenges.
Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, the Minister of Works and Transport pledged to fast-track the Engineers Professionals Bill 2022 to help check masqueraders and also increase public confidence in the engineering profession.
He assured the engineers that the bill is already out of the cabinet.
Eng. Papias Dedeki Kazawadi, the president of the Federation of the African Engineering Organization said for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to be implemented well, there is a need for deliberate collaboration between professionals including engineers among those that are key to the tapping of opportunities that AfCTA presents.
He said the 26th edition of NTCE aims to create a platform where key stakeholders within the engineering fraternity can exchange knowledge, explore innovative ideas, share experiences, present research findings, and discuss cutting-edge technologies and approaches.
Andrew Muhwezi, the President Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers said that the conference will feature thought-provoking discussions on leveraging engineering expertise to enhance Uganda’s value proposition within the AfCFTA trade ecosystem, particularly by ensuring the availability of strategic engineering goods and services.
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