In a monumental stride towards economic transformation, Moroto leaders have extended a warm embrace to the forthcoming cement factory set to revolutionize the Karamoja Sub-region.
The colossal venture, valued at 1.1 Trillion Shillings, is the brainchild of West International Holding Limited, a subsidiary of the esteemed China West Cement Limited (stock code 2233. HK), a Hong Kong-listed entity.
Expected to be operational by 2025, the factory, sprawling across 200 acres of fertile land in Nadunget Sub County, will churn out a staggering 6,000 tonnes daily of clinker and cement, marking a pivotal shift in local industry dynamics.
This monumental stride is not just a feat in quantity but a seismic shift in strategy, geared towards curtailing the reliance on external sources for the raw materials used by cement factories in other parts of the nation.
The move is poised to safeguard local resources from undue exploitation while ushering in an era of unparalleled employment prospects.
Rose Adero, the Moroto District woman councilor representing Loputuk Sub County, expressed her optimism, asserting that the industry would create a thriving market for the region’s raw materials.
Adero’s eyes gleamed with hope as she anticipated a brighter future for reformed warriors, once engaged in terrorizing due to a dearth of income-generating opportunities.
She also lamented the plight of educated but jobless youth, many of whom have turned to vices in the absence of viable prospects.
Mark Aol Musoka, a former LCV Chairperson for Moroto, lauded the investment, predicting an influx of Ugandans into a region once deemed untouchable.
Musoka envisioned an economic renaissance, with the industry poised to enrich the lives of 35 percent of the local populace, spanning both skilled and unskilled sectors. With cattle rustling plaguing the region due to idle youth, Musoka hailed the factory as a beacon of hope.
Francis Adome, the Member of Parliament for Moroto Municipality, hailed the factory’s strategic placement, foreseeing markets sprouting from neighboring territories like Kenya and South Sudan.
He vowed to bolster security measures, welcoming more investors to partake in the burgeoning prosperity. Adome stressed the need for affordable pricing, ensuring that the fruits of this venture reach every stratum of society.
In a plea echoing the sentiments of many, Jackson Angela, an elder in Rupa Sub County, implored investors to uphold honesty in their dealings with both the government and the community.
Angela emphasized that the stones earmarked for quarrying bear untapped mineral treasures, advocating for shared royalties that could bolster the community’s fortunes.
Peter Lokeris, the Minister of State for Minerals, painted a visionary picture of Uganda’s mineral industry, emphasizing value addition for job creation, industrialization, and local content development. Lokeris underscored the critical role this venture would play in the government’s drive for import substitution, heralding a new era of local clinker production.
Wang Fayin, the President of West International Holding Limited, radiated confidence in the project’s ability to uplift Moroto and Uganda at large, marking an epoch of economic prosperity.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, however, struck a cautionary note during the groundbreaking ceremony. While celebrating the imminent industrial surge, he urged the people of Karamoja to diversify and seize indirect business opportunities emanating from the factory.
As the cement factory rises from the earth, a beacon of promise and progress, the people of Moroto stand at the threshold of transformation, with the onus on them to safeguard the peace that will underpin this historic venture’s success.
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