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President Museveni Leads the Way with Groundbreaking Firefighting Innovation
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has unveiled Uganda’s groundbreaking “Muliro Eater” prototype, an all-terrain firefighting vehicle to a diplomatic delegation comprising representatives from the embassies of the United States, the European Union, and Russia at State House.
The Muliro Eater is a trailblazing innovation intended to operate in areas with challenging terrains where conventional fire trucks are unable to reach. Speaking about its inspiration, the President remarked, “As a man of war, I used to fight fires myself; we would put out fires using leafy branches and approach the fire from the back.”
Drawing from his military background and personal experience, alongside global footage of destructive wildfires, Museveni conceived the idea of an armoured firefighting tank. His vision addresses the challenge of bushfires across Uganda’s diverse geography while also serving a broader humanitarian mission. “I see wildfires as a significant problem in various parts of the world. In the USA, towns are often destroyed by wildfires, and similar situations have occurred in Greece, Australia, and Canada,” Museveni pointed out.
He also noted the ineffectiveness of aerial firefighting, explaining that “the planes release only small amounts of water,” which is inadequate for large-scale fires. Museveni added, “As a philanthropist, I realised that I needed to help these people. Several years ago, I informed the former American Ambassador, Malac, about my proposal to design a cross-country land-based capacity vehicle that would be the most effective defence against wildfires compared to aircraft that do not have enough capacity.”
Museveni presented this innovative idea to Marcé Industries in 2023, initiating a collaboration. Merging his wealth of indigenous expertise and tactical knowledge, he shared, “As a fighter, I have acquired a lot of knowledge, so I combined my indigenous knowledge and fighting skills to design an armoured prototype firefighting vehicle.”
During the unveiling, Jan Petrus Steyn of Marcé Industries recounted how the company, in partnership with Specialised Concept, accepted the challenge of building this novel vehicle. They produced a prototype based on Museveni’s concept.
By December 2024, a team appointed by the President visited the company’s factory to inspect the prototype, which was further enhanced with a locust spray prevention system. The vehicle features full all-terrain functionality and can reach speeds up to 60 km/h. Outfitted with rubber tracks, it performs effectively on both rough terrain and normal roads, allowing it to ascend slopes, cross ditches, and overcome physical barriers with ease.
The prototype underwent evaluation by the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) and the Ministry of Transport. Notably, Marcé Industries and Specialised Concept fully funded the design and production of the vehicle. Speaking at the launch, Museveni emphasized that the innovation signifies a major leap in Uganda’s emergency response capabilities, positioning the country as a provider of advanced firefighting technology and expanding its outreach in both humanitarian and commercial spheres.
Ugandan officials present at the event included Eng. Timothy Tibesigwa, Commissioner of Mechanical Engineering Services from the Ministry of Works and Transport; Eng. Jacob Lumonya, Assistant Commissioner responsible for Equipment; and Eng. Nobert Ogwal.
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