The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Monica Musenero, has described retired Gen Kale kayihura’s Katebe farm as a model of locally driven industrialisation and value addition, aligning with the President’s call for Ugandans to transition from subsistence agriculture to a market-oriented economy.
“We are not only launching a milk processing facility, but also engineering solutions made in Uganda. Gen Kayihura began this innovation journey in 2018, which cost him a lot of money without the expected returns because of the lack of affordable local technical expertise to support such initiatives” she said.
Dr Musenero made the remarks while commissioning the upgraded Katebe Farm Engineering Transformation Project at Gen Kayihura’s Katebe Farm in Kashagama, Lyantonde District on Sunday. Dr Musenero praised Gen Kayihura for spearheading an innovation that is transforming community livelihoods and commended him for his vision and dedication, describing the facility as an innovation pathfinder in Uganda, supported by the Engineering Development and Innovation Centre (EDIC).
“While Uganda has, for a long time, faced challenges in accessing affordable engineering solutions, it is now finding solutions through science, technology and innovation, particularly through the Engineering Development and Innovation Centre (EDIC), which is a fully equipped facility staffed by competent Ugandan engineers capable of supporting value addition and industrial growth” she noted.
According to the Minister, EDIC designs products, precision tools and components that support Ugandans involved in technological innovation and process improvement.
Gen Kayihura thanked President Museveni for his consistent encouragement to Ugandans to invest in value addition, saying the dairy facility was inspired by the President’s message.
“I started this project on a small-scale using loans obtained from the UPDF SACCO. It was very expensive because I had to import machines and technical expertise. Through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, I later received technical support from EDIC, a Ugandan institution, which visited the yoghurt unit, identified the challenges and resolved them within three months. That is why we are here today to launch a complete dairy processing facility,” said Gen Kayihura.
Gen Kayihura noted that the project was not established primarily for personal financial gain, but to create a market for local farmers’ milk, which he said had previously been sold cheaply without meaningful returns.
The Chief Executive Officer of Wazalendo SACCO, Colonel Yusuf Magero Buha, described Gen Kayihura, the first Chairman of the Board of Directors and a key figure behind its formation, as one of the SACCO’s most exemplary members, particularly for effectively using credit from the institution in a way that sets a positive example for others.
Before the upgrade, Katebe Yoghurt was producing 500 litres of yoghurt in 24 hours. Following improvements made by EDIC, the facility is now producing 3,000 litres in just 12 hours.
