Tororo, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, together with Kenyan President William Ruto, today presided over the groundbreaking of the USD 500 million Devki Mega Steel Plant in Tororo District—an industrial venture expected to transform Uganda’s steel production capacity and boost the region’s manufacturing competitiveness.
The State House Local Content Unit, whose Head, SPA. Hajjat Aminah Mukalazi attended the ceremony, welcomed the project as a powerful driver of employment, local enterprise participation, and value addition in Uganda’s mineral sector.
A Historic Step Toward Africa’s Economic Liberation
President Museveni hailed the project led by industrialist Dr. Narendra Raval as a major milestone in reversing centuries of economic exploitation—ranging from slavery to colonialism to the export of raw materials without meaningful local processing.
“For over 500 years, Africa has been losing value through slavery, colonialism, and the export of raw materials,” he said.
“This integrated steel operation that will employ more than 15,000 Ugandans moves us closer to ending the haemorrhage of our minerals, our jobs, and our foreign exchange.”
The project is anticipated to substantially reduce Uganda’s USD 5 billion annual import bill for steel products and anchor the country as a leading steel producer in East Africa.
Local Content Unit Ensures Locals (East African Citizens) Will Benefit Fully
At the Unit, we praise Devki Group’s commitment to full value addition and assure the public that the Unit will work closely with the investor to maximise Ugandan participation across the steel value chain.
We remain committed to:
- Promote the participation of Ugandan suppliers, contractors, and service providers.
- Facilitate skills development, capacity building, and employment opportunities for Ugandans.
- Track and enforce compliance with local content requirements.
- Support SMEs to meet procurement and quality standards needed for industrial partnerships.
“This investment reflects the President’s vision of a value-adding industrial economy. The Local Content Unit will ensure that Ugandans are meaningfully included in every aspect of this project,” SPA Hajjat Aminah Mukalazi.
A Testament to Regional Cooperation
President Museveni thanked President Ruto for encouraging Devki Group to situate the plant in Uganda, describing it as a demonstration of East Africa’s shared commitment to industrial growth and economic cooperation.
“Uganda is a natural source of raw materials, and East Africa must grow together,” he remarked.
The project is expected to benefit further from future infrastructure—particularly the Standard Gauge Railway—which will facilitate efficient transportation of raw materials and finished steel products across the region.
Guidance on Land and Compensation Issues
The President urged local communities not to obstruct development through compensation disputes, assuring residents that government remains responsible for addressing land matters in a timely and fair manner.
Future Prospects: Kabale Iron Ore Project
Dr. Raval’s upcoming Kabale iron ore project is expected to create even more employment and significantly enhance Uganda’s domestic mineral processing capacity.
A Bright Future for Uganda’s Industrial Economy
The launch of the Devki Mega Steel Plant signals a major leap forward in Uganda’s industrialisation strategy, promising thousands of jobs, greater export potential, and reduced dependence on imported steel products.
We reaffirm our dedication to ensuring that such transformative investments produce maximum socio-economic benefits for the people of Uganda, in line with President Museveni’s vision for a self-reliant, value-adding national economy for the people of East Africa.
For more information, reach us at: 039 310 3826 / 7
Email: [email protected]
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