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my manifesto

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my manifesto

Situations We Face: An Honest Analysis

UIPE stands at a critical inflection point. The April 2023 membership needs survey and gap analysis presented to Council laid bare uncomfortable realities: members perceive low institutional value, non–members access better engineering opportunities, lobbying for improved engineers’ pay has been inadequate, and UIPE’s public visibility is limited. These gaps have produced adverse operational effects – low membership engagement, constrained financial resources, and weakened stakeholder collaboration.

But there are deeper systemic challenges that demand frank attention:

The Engineering Professionals Bill (EPB) 2024 has raised fundamental questions on the regulation of engineering professionals in Uganda. However, there remains much to be done on the regulation of the engineering practice environment – not merely for the engineer, graduate, technician, technologist, but for the student. UIPE needs a president who can build legal consensus, navigate Parliament, engage the Ministry of Works and Transport, and ensure that the final legislation protects our members’ rights, defines engineering practice boundaries, and creates enforceable standards. This can definitely happen under the presidential watch and experience of Eng. Peterson Mwesiga.

Engineers are routinely displaced from senior project roles – including as ‘The Engineer’ under FIDIC contracts – by non–engineers. Public procurement frameworks do not consistently require UIPE membership or ERB registration. Members lose business to unregistered competitors. UIPE needs stronger enforcement partnerships with PPDA, ERB, and sectoral ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

Engineers enter contracts and projects without adequate legal protection. When disputes arise, UIPE members face costly, protracted litigation. UIPE’s adjudication and arbitration capabilities – including the President’s Panel – remain underutilized and insufficiently publicized to membership.

Despite Uganda’s growing infrastructure agenda – roads, dams, energy, ICT, oil and gas – Ugandan engineers are underrepresented in senior design, advisory, and project leadership roles. Skills transfer mechanisms on donor–funded projects are weak. Young engineers graduate without adequate mentorship pathways to registration and professional excellence.

UIPE’s financial model remains overly dependent on subscription revenues. Stalled projects like Technology House reflect the absence of structured project finance strategies. The SACCO initiative requires government capitalization assistance. Alternative revenue streams – including research grants, dispute resolution services, and CPD certification – remain underdeveloped.

Addressing these five gaps requires not just vision – it requires a president who combines engineering rigour with legal precision, institutional experience with commercial acumen, and strategic boldness with operational discipline. That is the Mwesiga difference.

Transformation Pillars (2026–2028)

The Mwesiga Manifesto is anchored on Seven (7) Transformation Pillars – each grounded in the realities of our members’ lives and crafted with the precision of an engineer and the rigor of an advocate. These are not aspirational talking points. They are actionable commitments.

Eng. Mwesiga’s unique standing as both a Registered Engineer and an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda positions UIPE to fight for its members in legislative and judicial spaces as never before.

TP #01.1: Engineering Professionals Bill – Protecting Our Practice Environment

  • Lead UIPE’s engagement on the Engineering Professionals Bill 2024 to ensure legislative protection for the engineers’ practice environment – not merely professional registration.
  • Advocate for mandatory ERB registration and UIPE membership as prerequisites for appointment as ‘The Engineer’ under public infrastructure contracts (FIDIC and non–FIDIC).
  • Engage Parliament’s Sectoral Committee on Physical Infrastructure to enshrine engineering title protection in statute, with enforceable sanctions against misuse.

TP #01.2: Legal Advisory Services for Members

  • Establish a UIPE Legal Advisory Desk – providing contract reviews, dispute pre–assessment, and regulatory advice to members of good standing. Members will be offered probono services on the basics of construction law, disputes and management; related to their workplace assignments.
  • Partner with leading law firms and the Uganda Law Society to offer subsidized legal representation for engineers in professional disputes, disciplinary proceedings, and contract litigation.
  • Develop and distribute a UIPE Contract Toolkit – model engineering service agreements, sub–contractor agreements, and FIDIC claim templates – tailored to the Ugandan market.
  • Train UIPE members on contract negotiation, intellectual property protection, and professional indemnity – through dedicated CPD modules delivered by legal and engineering experts.

TP #01.3: Strengthening UIPE Adjudication & Arbitration

  • Activate and expand UIPE’s adjudication capacity under the UIPE Adjudication Guidelines, 2019 – positioning UIPE as Uganda’s premier forum for technical dispute resolution.
  • Grow the UIPE President’s Panel of Adjudicators by recruiting and training more registered engineers with ADR competencies.
  • Strengthen the UIPE Dispute Resolution Function – offering quality adjudication, mediation, ADR and arbitration services to the construction and engineering industry, generating ample institutional revenue. The function shall be well branded, corporate branded, with an officially designated desk officer.
  • Partner with CADER, ICAMEK, and international institutions (SIAC, HKIAC) to ensure Ugandan engineers are included in international arbitral panels on African projects.

Based on the realistic situational projections entrenched in the UIPE Strategic Plan (2022–2027), coupled with the remarkable 47% membership growth achieved in 2024–2025, the Mwesiga Presidency targets growth of 17,000 UIPE members by December 2028 – stimulated by a data driven, incentive–rich growth architecture.

#

Membership Category

Target

(Dec 2028)

1

Corporate Members

        2,500+

2

Graduate Members

        5,600

3

Student Members

        8,065

4

Technicians

        450

5

Technologists

        320

6

Fellows

        55

7

Honorary Members

        10

TOTAL MEMBERS TARGETED

        17,000+

 

  • Launch a University Ambassadors Program – embedding UIPE student chapters at all accredited engineering institutions in Uganda, with dedicated mentors for each chapter.
  • Establish a UIPE membership provident fund covering bereavement, treatment of sickness, and health insurance packages. This will be forked from membership contributions.
  • Introduce a UIPE digital membership card with exclusive member benefits visible at point of use – including priority access to tenders, CPD certificates, and institutional letters.
  • Introduce a preferential rate for graduate membership fees and continuous professional development (CPD) trainings.
  • Establish a UIPE diaspora network – engaging Ugandan engineering professionals abroad to maintain institutional membership and contribute to national knowledge transfer.
  • Introduce a Corporate Partnership Membership Scheme – enabling engineering firms to register all their professional staff as UIPE members at preferential institutional rates.

Eng. Mwesiga has spent 18 years on the academic staff of Makerere University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is a founding member of the African Engineering Education Association (AEEA) and has chaired the UIPE Graduate Apprenticeship Program. He brings the full weight of this experience to transform how UIPE supports engineering education.

TP #03.1: Washington Accord Accreditation Drive

  • Work with the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) to make a structured institutional campaign to position Uganda’s engineering programs on the Washington Accord accreditation pathway – in partnership with Makerere University, Kyambogo University, and other engineering schools.
  • Work with ERB to strengthen engagements with the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to harmonize engineering accreditation frameworks with ERB registration requirements.
  • Enact the annual Presidential dinner to consult UIPE elders and retired senior citizens on matters of engineering importance and institutional governance.

TP #03.2: Graduate Mentorship & Structured Training

  • Revitalize and resource the Graduate Apprenticeship Program (GAP) under the Engineering Professional Development Centre (EPDC) – with structured competency benchmarks and mentorship matching.
  • Introduce a UIPE Young Engineers Board – a formal platform for graduate and student members, with direct access (meetings) to the UIPE President, to influence institutional strategy concerning their interests, and access peer mentorship.
  • Negotiate scholarships and international exchange fellowships for outstanding young engineers – leveraging Eng. Mwesiga’s networks at Makerere University, the African Development Bank (AfDB) Academy, and renown international arbitration networks.
  • Create a UIPE Career Accelerator – combining CV coaching, interview preparation, professional networking events, and employer engagement to bridge the gap between graduation and meaningful employment.
  • Forge partnerships and synergies with the Rwebitete Engineering Development Innovation Center (REDIC) – under the auspices of the Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovations (STI) – to enhance the practical and innovative skills of our young graduate engineers.

TP #03.3: CPD Innovations for the Digital Age

  • Design and deliver specialized CPD modules on emerging knowledge like: artificial intelligence in engineering, machine learning, cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, law & engineering, and green skills for the energy Transition.
  • Expand UIPE’s e–learning platform – offering on–demand CPD content accessible to members across Uganda, including those in rural and upcountry locations.
  • Introduce a UIPE CPD Credit Bank – enabling members to accumulate, track, and trade CPD credits across institutions, including IEEE and CIArb.

One of the most urgent challenges facing our membership is commercial exclusion – engineers are displaced from their rightful roles in procurement processes, FIDIC contracts, and government advisory panels. Eng. Mwesiga, drawing on his expertise in Public Private Partnerships, procurement law, and energy project advisory, will lead a decisive campaign to change this.

  • Advocate with PPDA to include mandatory UIPE membership verification as a condition for engineering firms to participate in government procurement.
  • Develop a UIPE Business Certification Program – certifying engineering firms’ professional standards and giving members a competitive edge in tender processes.
  • Establish a UIPE Tender Intelligence Service – aggregating government and donor–funded engineering procurement opportunities and alerting members to relevant bids.
  • Negotiate preferential retainer agreements between UIPE and Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies – giving members structured access to advisory roles on public infrastructure.
  • Engage the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) and Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) to ensure that engineering professionals are consistently included on investor advisory panels.
  • Advocate for local content, i.e. ‘engineer Uganda first’ provisions in donor–funded infrastructure contracts – requiring minimum quotas for Ugandan engineers in senior project roles.
  • Launch a UIPE Professional Indemnity Insurance Partnership – negotiating group rates for professional indemnity, public liability, and life insurance for members.

Uganda’s development ambitions – in energy, transport, digital infrastructure, agriculture, water, and extractives – demand an engineering institution that is not just technically competent but innovation–driven. UIPE under Eng. Mwesiga will become a national hub for applied engineering research.

  • Establish a UIPE Research Grants Fund – in partnership with the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST), the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), and international development partners – to co–fund applied engineering research by UIPE members.
  • Create an annual UIPE Engineering Innovation Prize – rewarding breakthrough innovations in energy access, water & sanitation, ICT infrastructure, transport, and agro–processing.
  • Develop a UIPE Technology Commercialization Pathway – connecting innovators with patent registration, investor matchmaking, and business incubation support.
  • Strengthen the Research, Innovation and Grants (RIG) Committee – providing dedicated secretariat support, a public innovation register, and an annual RIG report to Council.
  • Leverage Eng. Mwesiga’s academic and international networks to establish Uganda as a co–host for regional and continental engineering research symposia – in partnership with FAEO, EAFEO, and the African Development Bank.
  • Advance UIPE’s engagement with the 4th Industrial Revolution – including 3D printing, drones, IoT, and AI – through strategic partnerships with Makerere University, Uganda Communications Commission, Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF), and global tech partners.

UIPE must be financially resilient – not merely subscription–dependent. Eng. Mwesiga brings direct experience in project finance, PPP structuring, and bankable proposal development to transform UIPE’s revenue architecture.

  • Develop and implement a UIPE Revenue Diversification Strategy – with at least three (3) non–subscription income streams operational by end of Year 1 of the term.
  • Mobilize Government of Uganda support for full capitalization of the UIPE SACCO – by lobbying for seed money – and ensure SACCO governance structures are fit for members’ purpose.
  • Restructure the Technology House project through a structured PPP or market finance mechanism – with a bankable prospectus prepared within the first six months of assuming office.
  • Implement a robust Quality Management System (QMS) for UIPE – achieving measurable service delivery standards for members within 12 months.
  • Review and update the UIPE 5–Year Strategic Plan for 2027–2032, with member–validated key performance indicators and a publicly reported dashboard.
  • Rationalize the UIPE Secretariat – ensuring staff are adequately resourced, properly remunerated, and strategically deployed against institutional priorities.
  • Generate institutional revenue through UIPE Dispute Resolution Centre fees, CPD certification charges, and EREP service agreements with engineering firms.

UIPE’s influence must transcend Uganda’s borders. Eng. Mwesiga’s international networks – spanning FAEO, EAFEO, WFEO, CIArb, LCIA, ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, IEEE, and the African Development Bank – make him uniquely equipped to project UIPE onto the global engineering stage.

  • Position Uganda to host the World Engineering Congress and General Assembly 2028 – leveraging Eng. Mwesiga’s continental and global engineering relationships.
  • Strengthen UIPE’s engagement with FAEO, EAFEO, and WFEO – ensuring Uganda’s engineers shape continental policy on engineering standards, climate engineering, and sustainable infrastructure.
  • Establish bilateral MOU frameworks with at least five (5) international engineering institutions – enabling member exchange programs, joint CPD certification, and collaborative research.
  • Build a UIPE Africa Arbitration Alliance – positioning Uganda as a preferred seat for engineering disputes on African infrastructure projects, generating institutional prestige and revenue.
  • Develop a UIPE International Media Strategy – amplifying Uganda’s engineering achievements in continental and global forums, and positioning UIPE members as thought leaders.
  • Work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Partners to establish Uganda engineering representation in multilateral infrastructure financing bodies – including the African Development Bank, the World Bank Group, and the EIB.

Engineers live by measurement. This manifesto is therefore accompanied by a first–year commitment matrix – a public scoreboard against which the membership is invited to hold the Mwesiga Presidency duly accountable.

 

Manifesto Commitment

Target (Year 1)

SG Reference

Establish UIPE Legal Advisory Desk

Operational by month #3

TP #01

Strengthen the UIPE dispute resolution function

Adjudicated by month #6

TP #01

UIPE Contract Toolkit – published and distributed

month #4

TP #01

Net new UIPE members added

3,500+ in Year #1

TP #02

UIPE Provident Fund for members

Initiated by month #12

TP #02

UIPE Young Engineers Board

month #10

TP #03

University Ambassadors Program launched

5 institutions by month #6

TP #02

Washington Accord readiness assessment

Completed by month #9

TP #03

GAP/EPDC structured mentorship – enrollees

100+ graduates by Year 1

TP #03

PPDA advocacy – engineering prerequisite clause

Submitted by month #6

TP #04

UIPE Research Grants Fund – first call issued

month #8

TP #05

Technology House PPP market financing models

Draft by month #8

TP #06

UIPE 5–Year Strategic Plan (2027–2032)

Approved by Council by month #9

TP #06

WEC 2028 bid submission

Initiated by month #12

TP #07

Conclusion: A Call to Engineer Our Future

This Manifesto is more than a campaign document – it is an engineering design brief for a stronger UIPE. Every Transformation Pillar (TP) has been stress tested against the lived realities of our members. Every commitment is grounded in the technical, legal, and institutional competencies that I bring to this candidature.

We are engineers. We do not guess – we calculate. We do not hope – we design. We do not wish – we build. And what UIPE needs right now is not a caretaker, but an informed builder. A builder with surveyor’s precision, an engineer’s integrity, and an advocate’s determination to fight for what is right. A strong, protected, and globally competitive engineering profession driven by excellence,
innovation, and sustainable institutional growth.

The Mwesiga Presidency will be transparent, member–centered, and results–driven. Every commitment in this Manifesto will be reported publicly – on regular basis, and during the Annual General Meetings (AGMs). The membership will know exactly what was promised, what was delivered, and what is in progress.

I ask for your vote – not as a transaction, but as a partnership. A mandate to serve every corporate member, every graduate engineer, every student, every technician, and every technologist in our institution. A mandate to fight for your rights, protect your interests, elevate our profession, and position Uganda’s engineers at the forefront of Africa’s development agenda.

#Vote for Precision | #Vote for Principle | #Vote for Progress | #Vote for Mwesiga for UIPE President.

Let us engineer the future of UIPE – with unity, resolve and purpose.

Engineer the Future: Advocate for Engineering.

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