By Johnson Kanyesige
The launch of a UGX 1.8 trillion steel project in Tororo district has been hailed as a turning point for regional industrialization, after President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Kenyan President William Ruto presided over the ground breaking of the Devki Mega Steel plant in Kayoro village, Osukuru County.
The two heads of state described the investment as a bold step towards ending the extraction of of African minerals without value addition and creating thousands of jobs across Uganda and East Africa at large.
The facility is expected to employ 15,000 Ugandans across Tororo and Mbarara at commencement supported by additional work already undertaken in Tororo, Mbarara and the upcoming Kabaale Iron Ore refinery.
President Museveni said the project comes at a strategic moment in Africa’s long struggle for economic independence, arguing that the continent has been on the loosing end of global production chains of centuries. He pointed out the financial burden Uganda currently faces due to overreliance on imported goods estimatingthe annual loss at $ 5 billion.
He added that Uganda’s current dependence on road transportation for cargo was inefficient and welcomed the planned extension of the Standard Gauge railway towards Tororo saying it would benefit industries such as Devki and minimize on transport costs.
On his side, Kenyan President, William Ruto described the ceremony as an important moment for Africa’s Industrial Trajectory noting that Tororo plant would strengthen regional value chains and support youth employment.
