Silkworm project hits dead wall after govt looks away

More than 2,000 workers at the Tropical Institute for Development Innovation (TRIDI) sericulture project, among them casual workers, have been rendered jobless after the government suspended funding. 

Sericulture is the production of silk and the rearing of silkworms.

Mr Robson Aine, the director of monitoring and evaluation at TRIDI, told this publication that the line ministry is fighting the project. 

“The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (STI) suspended the funding. They are responsible for its failure to meet its obligations in the memorandum of understanding. The ministry wanted TRIDI to scale down to only two districts,” Mr Aine said on Monday. 

The TRIDI has since pointed fingers at the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MoSTI) for obstructing the progress of the initiative, leading to economic losses and wastage of investments. 

However, Dr Monica Musenero, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations, dismissed allegations of sabotaging the project during a phone interview at the weekend. 

“I have only maintained a fight against corruption and incompetence. I absolutely have no personal fights with anybody. I am in a public office to serve Ugandans,” Dr Musenero said.

The projects, aimed at promoting the production of silkworms and their by-products, was funded by the government.

Silkworms are a natural protein fiber that can be woven into textiles. 

Mr Aine said Parliament appropriated Shs43 billion for sericulture development in 24 districts in the Financial Year 2022/2023 to enable the project to produce raw material for processing, install silkworm egg production facilities, and train Ugandans to operate the machinery for silk yarn production in Sheema, Kween, Nwoya, Kayunga, and Bukedea.

“But the ministry decided to suspend the release of the funds contrary to the Public Finance Management Act 2015,” he said. 

Dr Clet Masiga, the executive director and principal investigator of TRIDI, said the national silk production projects hangs in the balance. 

“We don’t know how long this (suspension) will take but we are told negotiations are ongoing. A lot of mulberries have gone to waste. We lose four acres of mulberry per month. Many people lost their livelihood,” he said.

Finance challenge

Mr Emma Walimbwa, the head of partnership and capacity development at TRIDI, said they are lack rearing houses. 

“We needed to establish 24 rearing silkworm houses, but we did not because the money was not released,” Mr Walimbwa said. 

Mr Martin Nambale, the project supervisor for Bulambuli, asked the government to release the funds.

“There is a need for stable funding in order to avoid interruptions or loss of the already invested resources, especially the mulberry gardens which feed silkworms,” Mr Nambale said.   

Mr Emmanuel Masaba Sabunyo, former contestant of Parliamentary seat for Elgon County, accused the government of failing the projects.  

“President Museveni said he wants to promote scientists in Uganda through innovation, but how can you promote it when your ministers have decided to fight the innovators,’’ Mr Masaba said. 

Mr Aine maintained that the project has never had any audit queries as it is alleged. 

“The Auditor General always audits the project based on international well-established procedures and practices. There has not been any audit query,” he said.

Mr Aine further added that 10 shells for the rearing of silkworms were being constructed in Nwoya, Gomba, Mubende, Kween, Kitagata, Kiruhura, Busitema/Busia, Buikwe, Nakaseke, and Luwero before the funds were suspended. 

“Two research centres were completed in Sheema and Mukono.  There are also initiated shells for Busitema and plans approved for Lira University by University authorities, but all this is now hanging,” he said, adding that they have procured 870 acres of land for the establishment of a silk factory and production of mulberry for silkworm rearing.

The Parliamentary Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovations (STI) recently presented a report highlighting the challenges faced by the sericulture project managed by the TRIDI dated June 5.

Parliament suggested a raft of measures in the management of the silkworm farming project after it emerged that more than Shs20b of Shs35b invested in the initiative was wasted. 

The silkworm project is one of the science initiatives that has so far received Shs31b from the innovation fund established by President Museveni in 2016 and commenced operations in the Financial Year 2017/2018. 

While visiting some of the projects in Kween and Bulambuli districts in eastern region in October last year, the committee expressed disappointment at the stalled commercialisation of 24 sericulture projects across the country. 

Underutilised machines

This publication learnt that expensive machines that were procured for the projects in Kween and Sheema districts are unutilised after the government failed to release the funds. 

The project is currently being implemented in 24 districts, among them Sheema, Kiruhura, Bulambuli, Kamuli, Mubende, Mukono, Iganga, Luweero, Kayunga, Nakaseke, Kween, Bukedea, Zombo, Nwoya, Buikwe, Pallisa, Busia, Amorator, Otuke, Lira, Agago, and Pader.