Makerere University’s College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) has marked a historic milestone with the development of Uganda’s very first solar-powered water pump, fully designed and built locally. The innovation, led by CEDAT’s Dr. Edmund Tumusiime, demonstrates the country’s potential to spearhead industrialization through homegrown engineering solutions.
According to Dr. Tumusiime, the pump is powered by a synchronous motor also developed at CEDAT. “This project shows that engineers must be at the forefront of driving Uganda’s industrial transition. We have the knowledge and capacity to build a sustainable motor industry to support local manufacturing,” he emphasized.
Over 80 percent of the infrastructure required for the project was sourced locally, underscoring the strength of Uganda’s innovation ecosystem despite challenges of fragmentation and underutilization. Dr. Tumusiime noted that while government has invested heavily in innovation infrastructure, coordination remains a hurdle. He made reference to his visit to the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) in 2023 where he learned that there were state-of-the-art facilities lying idle, a reality he described as both shocking and transformative to his perspective.
The solar pump project is now seen as a flagship initiative that could catalyze Uganda’s industrial growth, leveraging existing infrastructure and engineering talent to build industries that meet local needs and reduce reliance on imports.