In April 2018, Cabinet that sat at State House Entebbe approved the Roadmap for Commercialization of the Kiira Electric Vehicle Project and a Seed Fund of Shs 143.7 Billion was allocated to set up and kickstart operations of the Vehicle Plant over a Period of Four Years, 2018/19-2021/22.
This was after the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development approved a comprehensive feasibility study for setting up and operating the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Mutai, Jinja district.
Sh24b was allocated for Kiira Motors Corporation activities in the Financial Year 2018/19 and by February 2019, sh19b had been released, sh15b was transferred to the contractor to start construction of the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja which already started and is already at some stage.
On March 3, Kiira Motors Corporation invited staff of the Government Citizen Interaction Centre to have a feel of the Kayoola Bus test drive as it was heading to the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja Mutai where the assembling will be made soon.
When the Kiira EV project started years ago, the Government of Uganda, acting through the Uganda Investment Authority, allocated 100 acres of land to the project for the establishment of the Kiira Vehicle Plant.
Uganda owns one of the best-established vehicle plants in the region. The land that was allocated to the plant is located at the Jinja Industrial and Business Park, Mutai on Kamuli Road.
The Kiira Vehicle Plant Site was handed over to the National Enterprises Corporation (NEC), the business arm of UPDF. Kiira Motors Corporation was officially handed over to NEC on January 18, 2019, which deployed security and began operations on February 11, 2019.
The Vehicle Plant site developments as per the engineers on-site say that the project was planned to take place in several phases. It is said that this plant will always produce a capacity of over 80 vehicles per month and 5,000 vehicles per annum which is good for the country via generating incomes and employment for Ugandans. The plant shall manufacture both buses and saloon cars increasing the ratio of purchase by Ugandans.
During our tour, we managed to be taken around facilities like the Assembly Shop and Plant Offices, Plant Circulation Roads, Power and Water Distribution Systems, Waste Management Facilities, Perimeter Fence and Gate Facilities, Drainage System and Whole Vehicle Test Facilities and these are already also under construction as per the observation during the visit at the vehicle plant.
As of now, the construction and installation of a 3.7km long 33kV medium voltage electricity line connecting the Kiira Vehicle Plant Site to the national electricity grid were already completed, tested and commissioned by Umeme. The construction and installation of a 5.4km long 6-inch water pipeline connecting the plant site to the municipal water supply system were also completed, tested and commissioned by National Water and Sewerage Corporation.
Currently, during the time of our visit, construction was at 90% meaning that very soon the contractor NEC will be handing over the plant to the client (Kiira Motors) to start official commercial production of the buses which is a very good development since it will enable very many Ugandans to get employment opportunities. It is said that the plant will have over 1000 employees and they will be housed at the premises that will be well organized with recreation and all that is basic for home use.
Therefore looking at such developments, Ugandans have to be sure that as a country, we will have buses made here and as of now, several companies like Tondeka have made orders for buses that are meant to help decrease traffic in Kampala.
Samson Koozi
Head Communication, GCIC-State House
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