The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Rt. Hon. Eng. Asiimwe Jonard, visited the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) during his maiden official visit to Makerere University, commending the tremendous research work ongoing at CoVAB and across the University.

In his remarks, the Minister noted that his visit to the University highlighted the pivotal role of research, technology, and innovation in shaping Uganda’s economic transformation and showcased Makerere’s capacity to translate groundbreaking scientific discoveries into practical solutions that address both national and global challenges.

The visit, held on September 16^th, 2026, was anchored under the theme “Research Infrastructure, Emerging Technologies and Enterprise Creation.” It offered the Minister an opportunity to tour CoVAB’s state-of-the-art facilities at the Centre for Global Biosecurity and Biomolecular Technology (CeBioTech) and engage directly with faculty, researchers, and students. He commended the college for its tremendous contributions to animal health, food security, and biosecurity, emphasizing that these areas are vital to building a resilient and sustainable economy for Uganda.

While addressing college staff, researchers, and other stakeholders, the Minister emphasized that universities must serve as engines of innovation, moving beyond scholarly work to commercialization. He commended CoVAB’s vaccine development for both humans and animals, describing it as a cornerstone of Uganda’s biosecurity agenda. He further highlighted the importance of integrating social sciences into innovation, noting that project management and product development strategies are essential to fast-track research outputs into viable enterprises.

The Minister toured several flagship facilities at CoVAB, including the Central Laboratory Animal Research Facility, which provides laboratory animal services and pre-clinical trial support; RePROVaD, which designs recombinant proteins and subunit vaccines for emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and Mpox; the Anti-Tick Vaccine project, which addresses the persistent challenge of ticks and tick-borne diseases affecting livestock productivity; and BIOMARKER, which develops antibody-based diagnostics to strengthen disease detection. These initiatives, he noted, demonstrate Makerere University’s capacity to contribute meaningfully to both national and global health challenges.

Looking ahead, the Minister outlined priority actions where CoVAB is expected to play a leading role. These include advancing veterinary innovations toward certification and commercialization, leveraging artificial intelligence to strengthen Uganda’s pathogen economy, positioning veterinary science as a driver of agro‑industrialization, developing sustainable models for shared diagnostic and biosecurity laboratories, and providing commercialization support for innovators in areas such as intellectual property, regulation, standards, and market access. By focusing on these areas, he emphasized, CoVAB will not only enhance Uganda’s scientific capacity but also accelerate the country’s journey toward economic resilience and prosperity.

Asiimwe pledged continued support for Makerere University and encouraged the development of structured University–Industry exchange models to ensure veterinary research translates into enterprise creation. He also emphasized the importance of self-sustainability for research centers, noting that revenue generation is key to long-term impact.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, thanked the Minister for recognizing CoVAB’s strategic role and reaffirmed Makerere’s commitment to advancing veterinary science and innovation for Uganda’s prosperity.

_{By Jacinta Nakaye}

Uganda’s drive to strengthen science, technology and innovation took center stage as the Parliamentary Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation toured Makerere University’s Centre for Biosecurity and Biomolecular Technology (CeBIOTECH). The centre is hosted at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB). The visit aimed to assess the progress of ventures supported under the Science, Technology and Innovation–Office of the President (STI-OP).

The visit brought legislators, scientists, and innovators together around a shared question: How can Uganda turn investments in scientific research into practical technologies, enterprises, and solutions that respond to national development challenges?

At CeBIOTECH, the Committee was taken through a portfolio of emerging science ventures, including Central Laboratory Animal Research Facility, which focuses on providing lab animal services, pre-clinical trial support, and specialized training to accelerate biosecurity and health solutions; RePROVaD, which focuses on designing and manufacturing recombinant proteins and subunit vaccines for emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and Mpox; the Anti-Tick Vaccine venture focused on addressing the challenge of ticks and tick-borne diseases; and BIOMARKER focused on developing Antibody-based diagnostics.

The delegation also toured laboratories within the Centre where research, product development and other activities supporting the ventures are undertaken.

The engagement offered the Committee a first-hand view of the scientific infrastructure, expertise and processes underpinning Uganda’s efforts to move research beyond academic discovery and towards innovation, enterprise development and eventual application.

Where science meets national priorities

For years, Uganda has invested in research and generated scientific knowledge across universities and research institutions. However, converting that knowledge into products and services that reach communities and markets remains one of the country’s most important innovation challenges. The ventures showcased at CeBIOTECH represent an attempt to bridge this gap.

Although they operate in different areas, the ventures share a common pathway using scientific research and technological expertise to develop solutions with potential to address challenges facing Ugandans while contributing to economic growth.

The Parliamentary Science Committee’s visit consequently provided more than an opportunity to observe ongoing research. It created a platform for legislators to interact with the scientists behind the innovations and gain insight into the journey from research concept to a potentially viable product or enterprise.

That journey can involve years of research, laboratory experimentation, testing, validation, regulatory requirements, intellectual property protection, investment, and commercialisation.

A diverse portfolio of innovation

The diversity of ventures at CeBIOTECH reflects the broad scope of Uganda’s science and innovation agenda.

The CLARF, REPROVaD, and BIOMARKER ventures demonstrate the range of scientific work being pursued. At the same time, the Anti-Tick Vaccine Venture highlights efforts to address one of the persistent challenges affecting livestock production.

Rather than viewing the ventures as isolated projects, the visit highlighted the importance of building an ecosystem in which scientific discoveries can be nurtured into sustainable enterprises.

Such an ecosystem requires more than laboratory facilities. It depends on skilled human resources, research financing, modern infrastructure, regulatory support, partnerships, intellectual property management, manufacturing capacity, and market access.

Taking the fight against ticks beyond conventional control

One of the ventures presented to the Committee was the Tick Control Innovations Initiative Ltd.’s Anti-Tick Vaccine Venture, which is developing a vaccine aimed at controlling ticks and reducing the burden of tick-borne diseases in cattle.

Ticks and tick-borne diseases continue to present significant challenges to livestock production, affecting animal health and productivity and placing additional costs on farmers.

The development of an anti-tick vaccine represents an innovative approach to complement conventional tick-control measures and potentially provide farmers with an additional tool for managing the problem.

The inclusion of the venture among the STI-OP innovations showcased to Parliament demonstrates how scientific research can be directed towards challenges with direct implications for agriculture, livestock production and rural livelihoods.

For Uganda, the significance of such innovations lies not only in the scientific breakthrough itself, but also in the possibility of developing locally generated technologies that can eventually reach farmers and contribute to a more productive livestock sector.

The laboratories behind the innovations

A significant part of the Committee’s programme was the tour of CeBIOTECH’s laboratories. The tour offered members an opportunity to see the facilities where scientific investigations and activities supporting the various ventures are undertaken.

Behind every innovation that eventually reaches the market is a substantial amount of work that is rarely visible to the public: laboratory experiments, sample analysis, quality control, testing, documentation, and validation.

The laboratory visits therefore helped demonstrate that successful innovation requires sustained investment in scientific infrastructure and the people who operate it. For Uganda’s science ventures to mature into viable enterprises, maintaining and strengthening such infrastructure will remain critical.

Parliament and the science agenda

The engagement also highlighted the important role Parliament can play in creating an environment in which scientific innovations can thrive.

While researchers generate knowledge and innovators develop technologies, policy and public investment can determine whether promising innovations receive the support needed to progress.

The Parliamentary Science Committee’s interaction with the ventures therefore provided an opportunity to understand the realities of research and innovation. Such an engagement strengthened the connection between policymakers and scientists, ensuring that decisions concerning science, technology and innovation are informed by the practical experiences of those working within the sector.

A step towards an innovation-driven Uganda

The Parliamentary Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation’s visit to CeBIOTECH comes at a time when Uganda continues to position science, technology, and innovation as central to national transformation. The ventures visited provide a glimpse into what this ambition can look like in practice; scientists working on locally relevant challenges, laboratories supporting research and development, and emerging enterprises seeking to convert scientific knowledge into usable solutions.

The visit also underscored the importance of sustained collaboration among government, Parliament, universities, research institutions, private-sector players and investors. For the innovators at CeBIOTECH, the engagement provided an opportunity to demonstrate progress, highlight the potential of their work and draw attention to the support required to move their innovations to the next level. For Parliament, it offered a closer look at the people, facilities, and scientific processes behind Uganda’s emerging innovation landscape.

Ultimately, the story unfolding at CeBIOTECH is not simply about laboratories or individual ventures. It is about Uganda’s capacity to generate its own solutions, build enterprises around scientific knowledge, and turn research investment into tangible national value.

As the country pursues a more knowledge-driven economy, the progress of ventures such as CLARF, SUBUNIT, the Anti-Vaccine Venture, RePROVaD, and BIOMARKER will be an important measure of how effectively Uganda can move from research to innovation, from innovation to enterprise, and from enterprise to impact.

Makerere University’s School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory (SBLS) at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) has ushered in a new academic year with a vibrant orientation for its undergraduate and postgraduate students. The school, which offers the Bachelor of Biomedical Laboratory Technology (BBLT) alongside several master’s and PhD programs, continues to position itself as a hub for training professionals in biosecurity, infectious disease management, and biotechnology.

In her address to the incoming class, Associate Prof. Claire Mack Mugasa, Dean of SBLS, congratulated students on making what she described as “one of the best decisions of your lives.” She emphasized that SBLS is a place where knowledge is transformed into solutions for society, and where laboratories serve as the cornerstone of discovery.  Prof. Mugasa urged students to embrace active learning, discipline, and self-direction, reminding them that success at university is not accidental but the result of consistent effort and curiosity. She highlighted the importance of attendance, noting that students must participate in at least 70 percent of classes to qualify for examinations. “Your growth will depend on your determination to make the most of the opportunities before you,” she said, encouraging learners to see themselves as future leaders and agents of change.

The Dean’s message was echoed by other faculty and staff of the school, who stressed that SBLS offers both freedom and responsibility. Students were cautioned against passive learning and overreliance on social media, with lecturers emphasizing that the brain remembers what it works on, not what it hears. The orientation also underscored the employability of SBLS graduates, with alumni working across Uganda’s public and private sectors, including the army and police, as well as internationally.

With programs such as the Bachelor of Biomedical Laboratory Technology (BBLT) recognized as among the most employable in Uganda, the Dean concluded by urging students to seize the opportunity before them, add value to themselves and the country, and embrace the journey ahead with responsibility and determination.

The School Registrar, Dr. Zakumumpa reminded students to complete registration and clear pending requirements to avoid inconvenience. At the same time, Arthur Moses Opio from the Directorate of ICT advised on technical support for accessing university systems, many of which are now online.

Faculty leaders, including Dr. Philip Magambo, Dr. Kungu, and others emphasized that SBLS is not only a place of learning but also a platform for students to build competence, character, and connections that will serve them in their careers and beyond.

The orientation highlighted the laboratory as the cornerstone of investigation. William Kabasa Micross, Chief Lab Technologist at CoVAB, reminded students that while freedom exists in the learning environment, lack of concentration leads to weak grades and diminished opportunities. He stressed that organizations seek people of value, and success is within reach for those who commit themselves fully. Other faculty echoed this sentiment, urging students to embrace active learning, question concepts, and apply knowledge rather than relying on passive memorization. Dr. Luke Nkakarahuka underscored that the brain remembers what it works on, not what it hears, and encouraged students to cultivate small daily habits that build long-term success.

Speakers also addressed the importance of self-directed learning. Students were advised to read ahead, attend seminars, seek research opportunities, and take initiative in their academic journey. Online learning was presented as a powerful complement to traditional methods, with access to world-class professors and research databases enabling SBLS students to compete globally. The message was clear: success depends on personal responsibility, and no one can learn on a student’s behalf.

Beyond academics, the orientation emphasized holistic growth. Ibrahim Ntulume encouraged students to focus on the “three Cs”, namely competence, character, and connection, highlighting the role of social capital in university life. Joseph Kungu, representing Dr. Kankya Clovice, reminded students to embrace their chosen programs, even if they had initially hoped for human medicine, and urged them to become agents of change. Faculty members also shared success stories of alumni who excelled in BBLT and other programs, noting that graduates are employed across Uganda’s public and private sectors, including the army and police, and are making an impact globally.

The orientation concluded with a strong message of encouragement: SBLS offers the right environment, mentorship, and resources for students to excel, but success will depend on their effort, discipline, and commitment.