By Babra Nambuya
President Yoweri Museveni has commissioned Kike Tropical Fruits Factory, which processes mango, pineapple, and passion fruits into fruit pulp, puree, and juice. The factory is located in Kakooge Town Council in Nakasongola District
The factory, owned by businessman Francis Mugabe and his family, sources raw fruits are sourced from 1,000 certified farmers in Greater Luwero, Greater Masaka, West Nile, Acholi, and Bukedi. Indirectly, the factory supports over 10,000 smallholder farmers.
The factory employs 120 workers directly, and hundreds of others indirectly.
President Museveni thanked Mugabe, once an importer, for their persistence in achieving the goal of fighting poverty and, as he put it, “having the spectacles that see far and accepting the gospel of value addition”.
The President assured Mugabe of support to the factory.
“If we can give money to people but who end up having nothing to do, how about someone who is doing something good?”, he asked, adding that “the problem is not money but the people who can execute the work we want”.
The President said the factory will receive more funding from the Uganda Development Bank (UBD) and promised to handle the factory’s tax issues.
The President singled out Uganda Investment Authority’s Representative in Austria, Olivia Mugabe Mitterer for persuading her brother to set up the Kike factory.
“I found that daughter of mine in Austria and she told me she wanted to come back to Uganda and contribute to the development of the country.
“I suggested to her that she find markets for Ugandan products and she managed to get them and she has been promoting Uganda’s investment opportunities and products”.
Francis Mugabe said the factory now exports its pineapple concentrate to the European Union market, adding that with more support, they would ramp up production for both local and foreign markets and employ more young people.
The Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Matia Kasaija, thanked Mugabe for joining the move of industrializing Uganda and creating jobs and wealth.
The State Minister of Finance (Privatisation and Investment), Evelyn Anite, said Kike Tropical Fruits Factory said the factory is unique in the sense that it came as a direct result of President Museveni’s gospel to Ugandans to enter the market economy.
The President donated a lorry to fruit farmers in Greater Luwero to ease the transportation of their produce.
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