Construction of Kisoro Industrial Park Stalls, UIA Urges Traders to Embrace Manufacturing

Summary:

• Bufumbira North Member of Parliament, John Ninzeyimana Kamara, warned that he would mobilize stakeholders to demand accountability for the delays.

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KISORO: The Director General of the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), Robert Mukiza, has called on traders in Kisoro District to embrace manufacturing to fully benefit from the forthcoming industrial park in the region.

Speaking during an end-of-year gathering for Kisoro District local authorities at Tourland Cottages on Monday, Mukiza highlighted Kisoro’s strategic location and its potential for economic growth through manufacturing.

He assured stakeholders that progress on the industrial park is advancing, citing the acquisition of a land title, completion of a feasibility study, and demarcation of land borders as milestones already achieved. The next phase involves discussions on financing the park’s construction.

However, some local leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of the project. Bufumbira North Member of Parliament, John Ninzeyimana Kamara, warned that he would mobilize stakeholders to demand accountability for the delays.

Deus Byamugisha, a councilor from Rubuguri Town Council, voiced disappointment, emphasizing the urgent need for the park to improve Kisoro’s infrastructure.

James Agaba, councilor for Kisoro Municipality, lamented the difficulty in responding to persistent public inquiries about the project’s status.

The establishment of industrial parks is a cornerstone of the government’s strategy to promote industrialization. In May 2021, President Yoweri Museveni approved the creation of 25 industrial parks across all sub-regions.

So far, 15 have been established over the past six years, supported by a government allocation of 130 billion shillings in October 2019 for the development of 20 zonal parks nationwide.

In Kisoro, authorities allocated 620 acres of Kibaya land in Bunagana and Rukundo Town Councils to the UIA for the industrial park’s development on August 18, 2021.

Despite this, no tangible progress has been observed on the ground, raising concerns among local leaders about the commitment to industrializing the area.