As the world celebrated International Women’s Day 2026, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) shone a spotlight on 13 notable women who are redefining the boundaries of possibility.
Standing tall among these trailblazers is Eng. Zaina Kalyankolo, a visionary from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering within the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology (FAST).
Today, Eng. Kalyankolo is being celebrated not just as a local icon, but as a continental pioneer. She is among the elite team of Ugandan engineers who developed the Artificial Intelligence-powered climate camera (ClimCam), which has officially transitioned from Earth-bound laboratories to the International Space Station (ISS).
A Historic Leap for African Space Technology: In a historic milestone for Uganda’s journey into space technology, the ClimCam Payload a sophisticated collaboration between the Uganda National Space Programme (under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation), the Kenya Space Agency, and the Egyptian Space Agency was successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Once installed on the ISS, this intelligent camera will serve as “Africa’s eye in the sky,” collecting near-real-time environmental data. This critical information will empower scientists to monitor floods, droughts, and the rapidly evolving impacts of climate change across East Africa.
The Architect of Precision: Zaina Kalyankolo’s Contribution
While the launch is a collective triumph for the region, MUST takes immense pride in Eng. Kalyankolo’s specialized role. Her expertise in optics engineering was central to the mission’s success.
Zaina was responsible for:
- Designing and calibrating the camera’s optical subsystem.
- Configuring and aligning the optical sensors to ensure high-quality environmental and spectral data capture.
- Rigorous testing to guarantee the system could maintain clarity under the extreme and varying atmospheric conditions of space.
Her work ensures that the data gathered by ClimCam is precise, enabling accurate climate analysis that will eventually save lives and livelihoods on the ground.
Message from the Vice Chancellor
“On behalf of the Mbarara University of Science and Technology community, I extend my most heartfelt congratulations to Eng. Zaina Kalyankolo for this out-of-this-world achievement.
At MUST, our identity is rooted in the powerful synergy between Science and Technology. Zaina’s contribution to the ClimCam project is a living embodiment of our university’s name and mission. By taking Ugandan innovation to the International Space Station, she has proven that the ‘Science’ we teach and the ‘Technology’ we develop here have no earthly limits.
Zaina, you have not only calibrated a camera for the stars; you have calibrated the aspirations of every young girl in Uganda who dreams of a career in engineering. You are a true MUST Trailblazer, and we celebrate.
