The minister of science, technology, and innovation in the office of the president, Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza, has revealed that the government has completed assembling of new drones and is ready for a test flight mission in early 2025.
The minister told this website at her residence in Kyaliwajala, Kira municipality, Wakiso district, that all efforts have been made to ensure that local engineers from the key universities, including Makerere, Mbarara University of Science and Technology [MUST], and Busitema, respectively conclude and unveil the drones next year.
She pointed out that the drones are specifically for non-military operations, which include carrying out surveillance operations in mudslide-prone communities like Kasese, Bulambuli, and Bududa, among others, as well as agriculture from climate mitigation measures.
“Other service to be rendered by the drones includes emergency transportation of drugs and high-end essential goods and services to remote, hard-to-reach locations.” Minister said.
“We are going to carry out a test fly operation next year for our locally manufactured drones, and this is likely to put the country at a new high level in terms of starting up our own high-tech innovative projects that foster economic development.” She added.
She congratulated all the local engineers, innovators, researchers, and development partners, among others, for doing a good job, saying that much as the government would be importing the drone parts currently, plans are underway to have them manufactured here locally, thus creating more job opportunities for the Ugandan youth.
She challenged students to embrace the science IT-based courses such that they can effectively tap into this new drone technology program, which would call for more experts to work in the sector.
The drone sector would also call for the establishment of a special training institute that would carry out research on the production of spare parts for the drones as well as training mechanical engineers to service, repair, or offer professional maintenance services, among other services.
