For Energy and Mineral Development Minister (designate) Eng Irene Muloni, last week was a return to her home ground, now renamed the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (Cedat).
Between 1982 and 1986, she was a student on bachelor of Electrical Engineering programme at Makerere University. Returning last week, she was in Makerere as a minister to launch the East African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EACREE).
Cedat is the home of the EACREE, and also the place where a group of faculty and students came together to develop the Kayoola EV bus, as well as several research projects dealing with renewable energy.
Muloni said she was pleased that this place was chosen to become a regional centre of excellence to increase access to modern, affordable and reliable energy services.
“The initiative will improve energy security and the mitigation of negative emissions by creating an enabling environment though informing policy, capacity building and creating awareness to the public,” she said.
Muloni added that the facility would support the efforts to realize adequate renewable energy, which is important in promoting industrialization.
“The majority of Ugandans is in the rural areas and relies on bio mass including charcoal and agricultural waste for energy,” she said.
“Fortunately, 85% of the energy Uganda relies on is renewable and thus the need to fully tap into its potential.”
Earlier, the Cedat principal, Dr Henry Alinaitwe, explained that the establishment of the EACREE came about after by the East African Community (EAC) member states, and is to be supported by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
“The centre will promote all appropriate and sustainable renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, promote small-scale and medium-scale hydro power projects, and bio-fuel projects which prove the sustainable and Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) cooking projects,” Alinaitwe said.
Explaining this further, Prisca Bonabantu, speaking on behaf of the permanent secretary for the energy ministry, said the decision came at the 33rd meeting of the council of ministers in Arusha, Tanzania on February 29, 2016.
The East Africa Community deputy secretary general, Jessica Eriyo commended ADA, UNIDO and the government for their continued support to the centre to advance science and technology in Uganda.
“The centre is a milestone in the integration process and needs to be taken seriously; we hope that this will facilitate a dialogue and exchange of ideas between stakeholders in the private sector within the EAC member states,” she said.
The launch concluded with an exhibition, in which Cedat staff and students showcased their innovations, before taking a ride aboard the first-ever solar-powered bus, Kayoola EV.
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