President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has flagged off his renewed doubled efforts to industrialize Uganda by sending a team of experts and scientists from State House to criss cross the country in a bid to identify more potential for community led industrialization.
This week, the team led by Engineer Sheba Kyobutunji visited various cooperatives, individual manufacturers and local leaders in western Uganda, to appraise current community led industrialization activities. This is the first phase of a national engagement with primary producers and early adopters of value addition in Uganda.
“Our appraisal visit is in line with the president’s vision to see that Uganda’s economic development accelerates by increasing the contribution of the missing middle majority to the industrialization process in Uganda” Eng. Kyobutunji said.
She added that the objective was to make assessments that can inform further interventions from State House to industrialists at local, sub-regional, regional and national level in Uganda.
The team from State House included: Mr. Godfrey Semujju, Mr. Wilfred Ahaisbe, Dr. Jessica Nanyunja Kalibbala, Dr. Charity Mwebesa, Engineer Susan Kageye, Dr. Hillary Emmanuel Musoke Kisanja, Engineer Safina Nakazibwe, and Dr. Joel Isabirye.
The marathon tour of the region saw visits to milk producers and processors, farmers, wineries, coffee production and processing facilities and district leaders. At Ntungamo District Council, Mr. Muchunguzi Samuel Rwakigobo, the Chairperson and his five member committee commended the president for driving industrialization by inspiring local producers to begin value addition. The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Mr. Nasser Mukiibi also appreciated the president for this great contribution and said that the district is ready to participate in the incoming industrialization initiatives.
The team met Mr. Nelson Tugume, the founder of Inspire Africa, who is in the process of setting up a coffee processing facility in Ntungamo district. They also toured the facility which is set to boost value addition for coffee and other agro based products as well as enhance agro tourism in the area.
Dr. Hillary Emmanuel Musoke Kisanja, the Private Secretary to the president in charge of Value Addition thanked President Museveni for this programme that he said would be the lasting solution for industrialization in Uganda.
“Most countries that have fully developed economies tapped all the segments of the population to participate in the process of industrialization. With this new programme, the president is solving one of the last hurdles in our industrialization process.
The move to double efforts in industrialization comes at a time when President Museveni has decried the colossal loss of revenue to foreign manufacturers who buy Uganda’s raw materials at a pittance only to return finished products to sell at exorbitant prices. President Museveni has also recently complained about Africa’s combined GDP being far less than Japan’s because of its failure to add value to its products for sale.
Gallery of the western Uganda tour
