Dr Monica Musenero, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation has pledged to continue pushing for the development of the country’s nascent automotive industry by having more buses on the road.
The minister made the remarks on Sunday night at Lugogo Mall while receiving delegates who had attended the 97th Rotary District Conference in Naivasha Kenya and had traveled on the Kayoola Diesel Coach (KDC), a luxurious long haul bus.
“This is the first time that a Ugandan made bus has taken delegates to an international conference in another country and brought them back. It is the first time that we are seeing the Kayoola Coach on such a journey and that is why I am here at midnight to welcome you all,” Dr Musenero told the delegates.
“We will put more buses on the road and I am here to assure you of our unrelenting desire to develop the automotive industry through innovation,” she added.
The Kayoola Coach that took the delegates to Kenya is being commercially operated by Kaliita Travelers, a renown bus passenger transport company.
“Other people in other buses were stopping for breaks, we didn’t need to as the Kayoola Coach has a toilet and fridge for refreshments. The reclining chairs made the distance of close to 500km very bearable,” Jane Ndagire, one of the delegates who traveled on the bus said.
“The internet on the bus’ wifi was fast and the charging ports for our smartphones meant that we were always in touch with friends and family, updating them on the journey all the time,” James Okello, another delegate said.
The Kayoola Coach is fitted with air suspension that make traveling on roads with many humps as is the case in East Africa comfortable.
Paul Isaac Musasizi, the Kiira Motos CEO thanked Rotary for choosing the Kayoola Coach and promised that by the next conference, more buses should be available. More than 1,300 delegates from Uganda and elsewhere attended the conference.
The 98th Rotary District 9213 Conference will be held in the western city of Mbarara in 2023.
