Uganda has invented a versatile firefighting vehicle which was masterminded by H.E President Yoweri Museveni with intention to counter fires in a more effective way.
Gerald Lumu, the deputy general manager and chief engineer in charge of the project at the army facility in Nakasongola, also said that the machine was a mastermind of the Commander-In-Chief, General Yoweri Museveni, having thought about how to modify the traditional way of putting out fires.
H.E the President Yoweri Museveni unveiled the country’s first prototype army tanker truck Tuesday designed for all-terrain firefighting which can also be used for pest control with minimum human interaction.
The President said that he tasked the production arm of National Enterprises Corporation under the ‘All Terrain Fighting Project’ in Nakasongola district to manufacture a concept that combines army trucks with fire and pest control mechanisms on all terrains.
The President also noted that people in the West are faced with many wildfires but had not mastered the concept of firefighting very well. He said in Africa, firefighting was done traditionally but is now being modernized and he decided to combine firefighting with military trucks that can travel on any terrain.
Reports indicate that Uganda looks at doing mass production with target to sell to the U.S. and Australia.
The two countries have in the past suffered from massive wildfires which have led to the loss of lives and destruction of big forests and homes worth billions of U.S. dollars.
The President invited Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Uganda Christopher Krafft to witness the unveiling ceremony.
The president noted that Africa used rudimentary methods of fighting fires like using tree branches…but now the UPDF has combined military knowledge in building this to help with fires and pest control.