Africa-Press – Uganda. The construction of a $200m (about Shs740b) cement factory covering 50 acres has commenced in Buikwe District.
Chinese owned West International Holdings Limited will invest Shs730m in Kavule Cell, Buziika ‘B’ Ward, Nyenga Division, Njeru Municipality, after a similar amount was invested in Karamoja Sub-region, Group Director, Ambrose Byona, said during the groundbreaking ceremony on August 10.
According to Byona, the reason for first establishing the factory in Moroto District, whose commissioning is expected in July 2025, is because of availability of raw materials (limestone) that were being imported for the production of clinker cement.
On the other hand, Buikwe District was selected for a similar undertaking because of its geographical location and presence of water and railway transport.
“This factory is going to support markets in the Central (Kampala areas), Mwanza in Tanzania, Mugingo in Kenya; we also want to use the railway to transport these products to avoid the wearing out of the road by loaded trucks,” Byona noted.
He added that construction of the plant, which is expected to directly employ 1,800 workers and produce 4,000 tons of cement per day, will last 12 months, and the community will get a Health Centre III and school.
Minister for Karamoja Affairs Peter Lokeris said the people of Buikwe District are going to benefit from the factory in many ways.
“A nation can only develop through industrialization and such initiatives bring unity with other regions in the country,” he highlighted.
State Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development in-charge of youth, Balaam Barugahara, revealed that his office will work closely with the company to see that both skilled and unskilled youth in Buikwe District are prioritised for employment.
However, Njeru Municipality Mayor Yassin Kyaze asked the company not to exploit the people they are going to employ like most factories in Njeru Municipality are allegedly doing, saying such conduct has cast most factories negatively in the public domain.
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