Thursday, September 4, 2025
Uganda’s industrial revolution is unfolding before our eyes. With President Yoweri Museveni commissioning four factories and laying foundation stones for nine others at the Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park, joining 54 operational units that employ 11,000 Ugandans, this milestone is a tip of a silent transformation reshaping our nation.
From Mbale city to Njeru in Buikwe district, where the De Heus Fish Feed Factory now produces 100,000 tonnes annually, Uganda is decisively shifting from an agrarian economy toward manufacturing-driven prosperity.
This agenda is the only path to mass employment (1.2 million jobs already created, dwarfing public service), value addition, and true modernization.
As the President rightly said, in the United States, only two percent are in agriculture. We must shift more people into industries and services.
The impact is noticeable. Factories like those in Mbale are turning towns of shops into hubs of production. Replacing imports with locally-made steel, paper, textiles, etc. They consume 50 megawatts of electricity (soon 100 MW), stimulate agriculture by creating demand for local food, and anchor communities in sustainable livelihoods. Yet, this is just the beginning.
Uganda’s strategic embrace of industrialization positions us to harness globalization not as passive recipients but as active players in global value chains, for example, where partnerships like the Dutch’s De Heus’ 25-million-dollar investment prove Uganda’s readiness for serious investment and business.
However, success demands more than just bricks and machinery. Investors must now champion global standards: rigorous quality control to win international markets, fair wages, and safe working conditions that honour Ugandan labour. Equally vital is embracing ESG principles, because it is smart economics.
Factories that minimize waste, respect ecosystems, and uplift communities attract premium foreign direct investment, as seen with the Netherlands’ record investments in Uganda. When De Heus integrated professional support – from formulation to finance – it did not just build a factory; it built trust and confidence.
To all investors: Your commitment to excellence will determine whether Uganda’s industrial surge becomes a fleeting moment or a lasting legacy. Meet global benchmarks, empower workers, and innovate sustainably. Do this, and you will unlock not just profits, but partnerships, drawing more investors, strengthening the African Continental Free Trade Area, and proving that Uganda’s future is forged in factories that value both people and planet.
(Reproduced from The New Vision of Thursday, September 4, 2025).
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