President Museveni has reaffirmed that Uganda’s future lies in industrialization, describing it as the surest path to wealth creation, modernization, and mass employment.
The president made the remarks on Friday while commissioning four new factories and laying the foundation for nine more at the Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park in Eastern Uganda.
The industrial park, located in Mbale City, is one of Uganda’s key manufacturing hubs. It currently hosts 73 factories, of which 54 are operational, employing about 11,000 Ugandans.
The newly commissioned factories include Unisteel Investment Uganda Ltd, Nice Textiles Uganda Ltd, Xinlon Textile and Garment Technology Co. Ltd, and Timber Paper Industry Uganda Co. Ltd. Construction will soon begin on nine additional factories, among them Elgon Steel Uganda Ltd, Hercules Automobile Manufacturing Uganda Ltd, and Aofan Garments Company Ltd.
In his address, President Museveni said the National Resistance Movement’s vision from the onset was clear—that a country cannot achieve transformation without a strong industrial base.
“To create wealth, we have four sectors. First is commercial agriculture, where people should make money from crops, livestock, and fisheries. The second is manufacturing, which processes and adds value to what is produced. The third is services like transport and hospitality, and the fourth is ICT. But the sectors which create the most jobs are manufacturing and services,” he explained.
He urged Ugandans to embrace a shift away from subsistence agriculture towards industrial and service sectors.
“In the USA, only 2% of people are in agriculture. Here you still have many Bagisu in the mountains on one acre of land, which is not sustainable. We must shift more people into industries and services. That is part of modernization,” he said.
Museveni recalled his teaching years in the 1970s at Moshi Cooperative College, where he lectured on economics. “One of the characteristics of backwardness we studied was having too many people stuck in agriculture,” he noted.
The president highlighted the economic ripple effect of industrial parks, pointing out that they not only create jobs but also strengthen agriculture and energy consumption.
“This park employs 11,000 people and consumes up to 50 megawatts of power, soon 100. These industries need food, so the Bagisu in the hills should grow food to supply this big workforce. That is how we link agriculture to industry,” Museveni said.
He emphasized that Uganda is now producing goods once imported, such as telephones, televisions, paper, and steel, transforming towns of shops into towns of industries.
The president thanked Chinese investors for their contribution, pledging government support to further expand the park.
“I want to thank Mr. Zhang and our Chinese friends for helping us transform our country. The management has also requested an additional 600 acres to expand into a new industrial city, and all challenges raised, including flooding, will be resolved immediately.”
Museveni underscored the growing strength of Uganda’s manufacturing sector, revealing that it now employs about 1.2 million Ugandans—more than the 480,000 employed in public service.
State Minister for Investment and Privatisation, Evelyn Anite, hailed the president’s consistency in championing industrialization.
“Your Excellency, you have not only saved young people but also walked the talk of industrialization. That is why we are now talking of 1.2 million people employed in the industry,” she said.
Mr. Paul Zhang, Chairman of the Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park, also expressed gratitude to the government.
“Your Excellency, thank you for supporting Mbale Industrial Park. More than 10,000 Ugandans now have jobs because of this project. Without your support, we would have nothing to do,” he said.
The event was attended by several leaders, including David Bahati, State Minister for Industry, and Hajjat Faridah Kibowa, Chairperson of the National Women’s Council.