David Mugabe
1 July 2009
Kampala — The former minister of agriculture, Kisamba Mugerwa, has urged government to seriously consider research as a vital component of development.
"It is fundamental that government invests in research. Research is a long term undertaking while policy has a specific period," said Mugerwa, now director of the international food policy research institute (IFPRI) in Kampala.
Scores of research reports are churned out by different agencies and academic institutions annually. But these researchers claim that government gives little interest to their body of work and most times, very little of the recommendations are implemented.
Mugerwa advised researchers to approach government on specific areas that they feel are relevant for government policy so that specific useful and practical data that can be generated to transform society.
"It is not a given that once you do research, the policy makers will adapt it," said Mugerwa at a breakfast held at the Kampala Serena Hotel hosted by the Development Research and Training, a research non governmental organisation (NGO).
Mugerwa cautioned the NGO fraternity against the various agenda from the various NGOs which has led to duplication of work and misinformation.
He reminded them that most times, the work done by researchers is ignored or not adapted by policy makers because of duplicity.
Chris Baryomunsi MP for Kinkizi East said there is no evidence that government is serious about research. "I think all of us appreciate research but how much have we invested in it. I think you need to link up with parliament so that we can start supporting research based evidence," said Baryomunsi.
There was little mention of research funding by government in the 2009/2010 budget.
In her budget speech, finance minister Syda Bumba only announced government's plan to generate 25 new resistant crop varieties that increase agricultural productivity, value addition, food and environmental safety through the National Agricultural Research System. Bumba said this will also involve the multiplication of 20 million disease resistant coffee seedlings.
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