The Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) has officially welcomed Dr. James Kisaale as its new Executive Secretary. He was introduced to staff by the Chairperson of the 5th Council, Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, during a staff meeting held at UNCST on 5 th June 2026.
Prof. Wanyenze congratulated Dr. Kisaale on his appointment following a rigorous recruitment process and described the appointment as a key milestone for the 5th Council. She noted that strong leadership is critical to strengthening UNCST’s contribution to Uganda’s knowledge-based economy and pledged the 5 th Council’s support in building robust institutional systems and strategic partnerships in support of Uganda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) agenda and national development aspirations.
Welcoming the new Executive Secretary, the outgoing Acting Executive Secretary, Dr. David Serukka, commended Dr. Kisaale’s distinguished background as an analytical chemist and his global leadership experience. He expressed confidence that Dr. Kisaale’s combination of scientific expertise and transformative leadership would effectively guide Uganda’s premier science and technology institution.
In his remarks, Dr. Kisaale thanked the 5 th Council for their confidence in him and appreciated the warm reception from management and staff of UNCST. He emphasized the central role of science, technology and innovation (STI) in Uganda’s development agenda and reaffirmed UNCST’s commitment to supporting the country’s ambition of achieving a ten-fold economic growth by 2040. He pledged to provide inclusive and strategic leadership to ensure the institution is well-positioned to deliver on its mandate and national aspirations.
Dr. Martin Ongol, Deputy Executive Secretary welcomed the appointment, noting that UNCST’s top governance structures are now fully constituted and expressed confidence in the institution’s future under the new leadership. Staff also shared their expectations and aspirations for the new Executive Secretary’s tenure.