Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has announced that President Yoweri Museveni has allocated land for the establishment of two industrial parks in the Ankole sub-region, saying the projects could create thousands of jobs and spur economic development.
Tayebwa made the announcement on Tuesday while representing President Yoweri Museveni at the burial of the late Mrs Edna Kentaro Baryaruha in Bushenyi District.
In addition, he revealed that an industrial hub will also be established in Bushenyi District.
He said Bushenyi District had provided 70 acres of land for an industrial hub to be established 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 also announced the allocation of land for two industrial parks in Ruhengyere and Nakivale in Isingiro District.
“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 marks a significant step towards the fulfilment of Museveni’s promise to establish industrial facilities in the Ankole sub-region.
During the recent election campaigns, Museveni pledged to establish an industrial park in Ankole to promote value addition and create employment opportunities for the region’s growing population.
Industrialisation has also featured prominently in the government’s broader development plans, with industrial parks envisioned as centres for manufacturing, value addition, job creation and regional economic development.
Tayebwa said the proposed industrial facilities would create 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 Ankole sub-region has a strong agricultural base, with dairy farming, coffee growing, livestock rearing and food production forming a major part of its economy.
The government hopes that the proposed industrial parks will promote the processing of locally produced raw materials and enable the region to benefit more from value addition.
The proposed industrial park in Ruhengyere, Tayebwa said, would specifically focus on food processing.
He cited Mbale Industrial Park as an example of how industrial parks can create employment and stimulate economic activity.
“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.
If implemented, the industrial hub in Bushenyi and the two proposed industrial parks in Ruhengyere and Nakivale could significantly expand industrial activity in Ankole and provide new markets for farmers and other producers.
The developments could also help spread economic growth across the sub-region by creating opportunities not only for factory workers but also for transporters, suppliers, small businesses and service providers.
For Ankole, a region long known for its agricultural production, the proposed industrial facilities could offer an opportunity to move beyond the production of raw materials towards greater processing, manufacturing and value addition.
