By John Jimmy Musimbi
Is public investment delivering the impact communities were promised?
That question took centre stage as Parliament’s Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation inspected TRIDI’s Kijumba Sericulture Station in Mubende, the third TRIDI sericulture station visited by the Committee during its oversight exercise.
The inspection brought together Members of Parliament, the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretariat, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Mubende district leaders and community members to assess how public investment in TRIDI’s sericulture programme is translating into tangible results on the ground.
At Kijumba, the message from local leadership was direct: the community needs action, not promises.
Mubende LCV Chairperson Muhereza Michael Ntambi called for Government support to revamp the station, warning that renewed investment could help curb encroachment while delivering the community benefits that the project was expected to generate including employment opportunities and improved roads.
Build one model station, then expand
The oversight visit also reignited debate over how Government resources should be deployed across TRIDI’s network of model sericulture stations.
Kashari County MP Patrick Musasizi urged Government to concentrate resources on making one station fully operational before expanding to others.
“Build one model station. Make it work. Then expand.”
He specifically proposed prioritising TRIDI’s Kween station, arguing that targeted investment could deliver stronger and more demonstrable results before resources are spread across multiple sites.
The proposal reflects a broader question facing large public development projects. Should investment be spread across many sites, or should resources first be concentrated to create one fully functioning model that can demonstrate what is possible?
Funding confidence and accountability
For TRIDI, the discussion also touched on the importance of restoring confidence around public financing.
Hon. Ismail Muhammad Lomwar, MP for Kotido Municipality, called for the issues that resulted in the termination of funding to TRIDI by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to be addressed.
His message was that resolving those concerns is necessary to unlock confidence and create room for future support to the project.
Meanwhile, Hon. Jamal Ayagalaki, MP for Bukooli North, raised concerns about corruption within government systems, arguing that such practices can frustrate development projects such as TRIDI’s sericulture programme.
He pledged to follow up on the concerns so that the people of Mubende can ultimately benefit from the investment.
TRIDI: Concentration comes with a cost
TRIDI Executive Director Dr. Clet Wandui Masiga acknowledged Parliament’s position on concentrating efforts on one station in Kween, but highlighted an important operational consideration.
He explained that concentrating operations could affect the wider sericulture system because cuttings from other stations were intended to feed into another station that is already operational.
He also questioned the potential wastage to taxpayers’ money if billions of shillings already invested in the different stations were not put to productive use.
This places the debate beyond simply choosing one station over another. The bigger question is how Uganda can protect previous public investment while ensuring that the sericulture programme delivers measurable value to communities.
What comes next?
The Mubende inspection has placed Kijumba and TRIDI’s wider sericulture programme firmly within the national conversation on public investment, accountability and technology-led development.
For communities, the expectation is clear; investment should translate into jobs, productive enterprises and improved livelihoods.
For Government and Parliament, the challenge is equally clear; ensure that public resources invested in sericulture are protected, properly managed and converted into sustainable economic opportunities.
And for TRIDI, the oversight provides an opportunity to strengthen the systems, partnerships and investments required to move its sericulture stations from partially developed facilities into productive models capable of demonstrating the potential of Uganda’s silk value chain.
The question is no longer simply how much has been invested. The question is: what will that investment now deliver for Ugandan communities?
