Parliament’s Budget Committee has summoned officials from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to explain why Shs 46 billion allocated for innovation has remained unused for two consecutive financial years.
The move follows concerns raised by the Committee on Presidential Affairs, which revealed that the funds were released but never disbursed to intended beneficiaries, raising questions over accountability and delays in implementing key research projects.
According to the committee report, the money—channeled through the Uganda Development Bank was earmarked to support innovation initiatives, including research into solutions for tick-borne diseases. However, legislators noted with concern that despite the urgency of such projects, especially in the agriculture sector, the funds have remained idle.
Lawmakers are now demanding clear explanations from the ministry on the bottlenecks preventing the utilization of the funds, warning that delays could hinder progress in critical areas of research and innovation.
The summons signals growing scrutiny by Parliament over public resource management and the need to ensure funds meant for national development are put to effective use.
