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.
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.
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.
