Mr President, thanks a lot for the first Karamoja factory

President Museveni on Saturday became a referee, blowing the whistle for Karamoja to take off by commissioning the first factory of its kind in Karamoja.

Karamoja, once a neglected region right from colonial rule, had no single factory, no tarmac road, no electricity, and its communication network was blocked. Schools were few, cattle rustling and gun sounds were the order of the day.

In 2011, President Museveni invited journalists to his home at Morulinga State Lodge, and I was among those invited. In his address, the President repeatedly said Karamoja would never remain the same under his leadership. That statement was not taken seriously because it was not the first time the President had made such promises. Little did we know that the son of Mzee Kaguta from Rwakitura had gone far with his words.

The first thing Karamoja received was the national grid. Moroto District had a thermal generator which was turned on from 7pm and switched off by 12am. When the national grid was connected to Karamoja, first in Moroto Municipality, some opposition supporters laughed, saying maybe there was a hidden generator supplying power to Moroto, but not from Jinja. When that information reached President Museveni, he laughed and advised the opposition supporters to touch the wires and feel, which of course they could not.

Shortly after, the President commissioned the first-ever tarmac road connecting Moroto to Nakapiripirit. After one year, the President again commissioned the tarmac road from Moroto to Soroti, bringing to an end transport challenges and improving trade between the people of Karamoja and the rest of the country.

During the campaigns of 2021, President Museveni again invited journalists to Morulinga and made promises about his plans to construct factories in Karamoja, which also took some time, while the raw minerals of Karamoja kept being transported to Tororo and Kampala.

In 2023, the whole country was shocked when President Museveni jetted to Moroto to lay the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the first factory in Moroto. Still, the country was not convinced, as many thought he was just mocking the Karimojong, yet the President meant his words.

While laying the groundbreaking ceremony for the factory, he said he wanted all the people in the Karamoja region to benefit from the ongoing industrial development in the area.

The construction of the Shs1 trillion factory by the Chinese under the name Yaobai Cement Factory commenced immediately.

On Saturday, President Museveni, accompanied by hundreds of foreign investors in Uganda, jetted into Moroto and officially commissioned the clinker factory.

The factory will be producing 6,000 tonnes of clinker daily in its first phase.

While commissioning it in Nadunget Sub-county, Moroto District, President Museveni said the establishment of a domestic clinker factory will save Uganda approximately 260 million US dollars previously spent on imports of clinker, a key raw material in cement production.

He commended the Chinese investors for their continued commitment, describing them as reliable.

Mr Ambrose Byona, the co-director of the factory and the blue-eyed boy of the President, told this publication that it was time for Karamoja to shine.

According to Ambrose, Karamoja people have been travelling to Kampala and Tororo, taking money there to buy building materials, adding that it is now time for people to also travel and take money to Karamoja.

“Its time for money to come from Eastern, Central and Western Uganda to Karamoja, and for the people of Karamoja to also develop,” he said.

The commissioning of this factory, and others coming up, has filled a lot of shame among people who used to laugh at Karamoja, saying, “We can’t wait for Karamoja to develop.” Thanks, Mr President, for disproving people who have been undermining Karamoja.

I am sure that with the coming of Gen Muhoozi on full board, Karamoja will be the region where everyone will run to settle. Long live Mzee Kaguta, long live Gen Muhoozi, and long live the UPDF and Police family for restoring peace in Karamoja.