Kampala, Uganda: The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has announced the death of renowned agricultural biotechnologist Dr Andrew Kiggundu, a key figure behind Uganda’s anti-tick vaccine research.
In a statement issued Wednesday, NARO Director General Dr Yona Baguma described Dr Kiggundu’s passing as a profound loss to Uganda’s scientific community.
“The National Agricultural Research Organisation is deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Dr Andrew Kiggundu, a distinguished scientist whose contribution to agricultural biotechnology in Uganda and beyond has been immense,” Dr Baguma said.
At the time of his passing, Dr Kiggundu was contributing to national efforts under NARO’s vaccine programme, including work linked to the development of an anti-tick vaccine aimed at protecting Uganda’s livestock sector.
The innovation is seen as critical in addressing tick-borne diseases, which significantly affect cattle productivity and farmer incomes across the country.
A Career of Scientific Excellence
Dr Kiggundu joined NARO in 1993 as a Research Assistant under the National Banana Research Programme and rose to become Head of the National Agricultural Biotechnology Centre and Programme Leader at the National Agricultural Research Laboratories, Kawanda.
He later earned a PhD from the University of Pretoria and became instrumental in shaping Uganda’s biotechnology and biosafety frameworks.
His expertise earned him a role at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in the United States, where he led the Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa (VIRCA) projects across multiple countries, including Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and Rwanda.
Legacy Beyond the Lab
Dr Kiggundu also served as Secretary to the NARO Institutional Biosafety Committee, overseeing a record number of confined field trials that positioned Uganda among Africa’s leaders in biotechnology research.
He contributed to the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) and supported regional biotechnology stewardship programmes under the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa.
“Dr Kiggundu’s passing is a profound loss to NARO, the scientific community, and the nation at large,” Dr Baguma said.
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