Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Kenyan President William Ruto visited Tororo in eastern Uganda on Sunday to lay the foundation for a $500 million steel manufacturing complex. This can be regarded as one of the most ambitious measures in East Africa to reduce dependence on imported metals and fully tap into the value of local mineral resources. This comprehensive facility is invested and constructed by the Devki Group of Kenyan entrepreneur Narendra Laval, aiming to achieve vertical integration of the industrial chain. In the initial stage, the project will employ 15000 Ugandan employees in its operations in the Tororo and Mbarara regions, and it is expected that the total number of employees will increase to 20000 by 2027. At a time when East African governments are actively seeking to break away from the single commodity export model and shift towards higher value-added manufacturing to alleviate the long-term trade deficit caused by imported manufactured goods, this investment is particularly timely. Museveni pointed out at the groundbreaking ceremony held in Kayoro Village, Tororo District that Uganda loses up to $5 billion annually due to the inability to independently produce domestically produced goods, with steel products being a typical example. He delivered a speech at the ceremony, saying, "For five hundred years, Africa has continuously lost its own value due to slave trade, colonial rule, and the practice of only extracting raw materials without increasing added value in modern economies. Now, we are committed to liberating Africa and reshaping its economic landscape."
