Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has announced that President Yoweri Museveni has allocated land for the establishment of two industrial parks and an industrial hub in the Ankole sub-region, a move expected to create thousands of jobs and accelerate economic transformation.
Tayebwa said the industrial hub will be established in Kyeizoba, Bushenyi District, while the two industrial parks will be located in Ruhengyere and Nakivale in Isingiro District.
He made the announcement on Tuesday while representing President Museveni at the burial of the late Mrs Edna Kentaro Baryaruha in Bushenyi District.
Tayebwa said Bushenyi District had already provided 70 acres of land for the proposed industrial hub in Kyeizoba.
“As people of Ankole, the President has given us an industrial hub. It will be set up in Kyeizoba. The district has given us 70 acres. We shall start working on it very soon,” Tayebwa said.
He further revealed that President Museveni had allocated five square miles of land each for industrial parks in Ruhengyere and Nakivale.
“The President has given us two industrial parks. He wrote to me. He has given me five square miles of land for an industrial park in Ruhengyere, which will deal with the processing of foodstuffs. He has also given me five square miles in Nakivale, Isingiro. All these are in writing,” he said.
The announcement comes after Museveni pledged during the recent election campaigns to establish an industrial park in the Ankole sub-region as part of efforts to promote value addition, create employment and stimulate economic growth.
Tayebwa said the proposed industrial facilities would provide much-needed employment opportunities, particularly for young people graduating from universities and other institutions.
“These will spur meaningful development in Ankole and generate thousands of jobs for our youth graduating from universities,” he said.
The planned industrialisation is also expected to strengthen the region’s agricultural economy by creating markets for locally produced raw materials and encouraging value addition.
Ankole has a strong agricultural base, with dairy farming, coffee growing, livestock rearing and food production forming key components of its economy. The proposed industrial facilities could therefore enable farmers and other producers to earn more by processing their products locally rather than selling them in raw form.
Tayebwa said the industrial park in Ruhengyere would specifically focus on food processing.
He pointed to Mbale Industrial Park as an example of the potential economic impact of such investments.
“Those who don’t know the value of an industrial park, visit Mbale. The industrial park has created more than 1,000 jobs,” Tayebwa said.
The proposed industrial hub in Bushenyi and industrial parks in Ruhengyere and Nakivale could significantly expand industrial activity across the Ankole sub-region if implemented as planned.
Beyond direct employment in factories, the projects are expected to generate opportunities for transporters, suppliers, small businesses and service providers while creating new markets for agricultural producers.
For Ankole, which has historically relied heavily on agriculture, the proposed investments could mark an important step towards transforming the region from primarily producing raw materials to greater processing, manufacturing and value addition.
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