"We are the yolk, not the egg": Minister Asiimwe reviews innovation fund performance, sets sights on new STI policy
The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Eng. Jonard Asiimwe, held a high-level engagement on August 12, 2026, with the Directorate of Socio-Economic Monitoring and Research, led by Minister of State for Economic Monitoring, Hon. Sandra Santa Alum, alongside the STI Secretariat team, for a briefing on the performance of National Innovation Fund (NIF) projects.
The assessment, carried out on the directive of President Museveni, provides an independent review of the achievements, challenges and opportunities within NIF-funded projects. It is expected to guide improvements, close existing gaps, and inform the development of Uganda's new STI Policy.
Findings from the review will also feed into a Cabinet Paper aimed at strengthening the impact, efficiency and sustainability of government investment in science, technology and innovation.
Speaking at the engagement, Asiimwe underscored the Ministry's coordinating role across government, describing it as "the yolk, not the egg" — a strategic link binding all ministries, departments and agencies toward shared national goals.
He reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to working with stakeholders to realize President Museveni's vision of a Uganda transformed by science, technology and innovation, and pledged continued support for turning research into commercially viable products, enterprises and industries that create jobs, generate wealth and drive the country's socio-economic transformation.
