Makerere University takes delivery of new Kiira Motors executive bus

The College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, known as CEDAT, at Makerere University officially added a brand-new executive bus to its transport fleet on Monday. The acquisition marks a specific investment in institutional mobility, intended to facilitate staff and student logistics for official trips and academic fieldwork.

Valued at UGX 500 million, the 41-seater vehicle was produced by Kiira Motors Corporation, the national automotive flagship. The bus was handed over to the university at a ceremony where Prof. Moses Musinguzi, the Principal of CEDAT, received the keys from the Directorate of Estates and Works.

Prof. Musinguzi noted that the addition is expected to reduce long-standing logistical hurdles. He stated that the bus would improve coordination and foster efficiency in operations, providing a more reliable transport solution for the college’s academic missions and various institutional activities.

The delivery follows a broader trend of fleet modernization at the university. Earlier in 2025, Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe distributed three other Kiira Motors buses to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the College of Health Sciences, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity.

Kiira Motors Corporation, which operates out of a multi-billion shilling vehicle plant in Jinja, has its roots in research conducted at Makerere University. The corporation has since scaled its production to include various models of the Kayoola bus, ranging from diesel-powered executive coaches to fully electric city buses.

The Jinja-based plant is currently recognized as a central hub for automotive manufacturing in the region. It features a body shop for frame production and a chassis systems shop for integrating steering and braking components. This infrastructure supports the government's wider strategy to drive local industrial growth and reduce dependence on imported vehicles.

Recent developments from the manufacturer include the successful completion of a 13,000-kilometre trans-African expedition. A 2025 model of the Kayoola electric coach traveled from Kampala to Cape Town and back, verifying the durability of Ugandan-engineered systems across diverse terrains and international borders.

For Makerere University, the arrival of the CEDAT bus serves as a practical application of the research and innovation nurtured within its own lecture halls. The university maintains a 4 percent equity stake in Kiira Motors Corporation, with the remaining 96 percent held by the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

University officials emphasized that such acquisitions are necessary to maintain the institution's academic standards, particularly for departments that require frequent travel for research and community outreach programs. The new executive bus is now expected to enter immediate service under the college's management.