A delegation from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has commended President Yoweri Museveni for his value addition vision that led to the setting up of a government-owned state-of-the-art leather factory in Kawumu village, Luwero district, central Uganda.

Kawumu Tannery Uganda, commissioned by Museveni in October, adds value to animal hides and skins.

The COMESA team comprising experts in the leather industry from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Eritrea and Malawi visited the tannery on Thursday.

COMESA delegation members pose for a photo in the background are some of the finished ready to sale leather. (Photo by PPU/Tony Rujuta)

They are in Uganda for their 13th Annual Regional Consultative Forum of the Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute.

‘It can be done’

The delegation described Kawumu Tannery Uganda, which is located at the Presidential demonstration farm in Makulubita sub-county in Luwero, as a confirmation that Africa is moving forward.

“When you see what is happening here, it is very good for our growth. We are moving away from saying we are going to do it, now we are doing it. This is a real confirmation that whatever we want to do as Africans, it can be done,” said Charles M. Ndungu, a delegate from Kenya.

The sh12b facility sits on 10 acres of land with an expansion plan that will cover an additional 10 acres.

The State House comptroller, Jane Barekye, welcomed the COMESA delegation to the tannery and said their visit will help Uganda improve her leather production.

She told the team that despite its infant stages, the factory has shown a lot of potential because the leather produced is on high demand.

The premises of Kawumu Tannery Uganda located in Luwero. (Photo by PPU/Tony Rujuta)

“We have managed to produce and sell. If we go to 10 tonnes per day, we shall need more market and machines of high technology and now that you are here, you are going to help us,” said Barekye.

“It is not just a matter of hosting you, but we also want to learn from each other. We want to have some knowledge from you on how we can make it.”

She added the factory is adding value to leather and looks to promote exportation of leather products.

The dyed leather at the Kawumu Tannery Uganda factory in Luwero. (Photo by PPU/Tony Rujuta)

It is understood that a shoe-making factory will be established to expand Museveni’s value addition vision as well as job creation.

‘Uganda is moving forward’

From Zambia, Prof. Stiwala Mundia, who was equally impressed by the facility, pledged to work with the government of Uganda in terms of research and called upon the COMESA region to work as a team and fill up the markets.

“We are ready to work with you in terms of research because we have travelled in Africa and we have realized that it is only research that will move Africa forward. We have taken pictures of this infrastructure, and as we get back to our homes in Zambia we shall report that Uganda is moving forward.”

Commissioner Dr Joshua Mutambi, on behalf of the trade ministry, reported that the delegation had fruitful discussions at the just concluded Regional Consultative Forum.

The forum was themed: ‘Enhancing market access of leather and leather products through integrated application of eco-certification, possibility and standards around the value chain.’

The COMESA delegation looking at the water and waste management system during the tour of the Kawumu Tannery Uganda factory in Luwero. (Photo by PPU/Tony Rujuta)

The objectives of the forum included among others;

• Sharing research undertakings by identified players on regional and global level
• Identifying the key challenges and interventions towards achieving sustainable regional leather sector development and discussing the potential pathway
• Capacity building
• Technology transfer from both regional and global perspectives.

“We thank you so much because we could not leave the delegation to go back without seeing the state-of-the-art leather tannery that his Excellency the President put up,” Mutambi told the State House comptroller.

The Kawumu Tannery Uganda Executive Director Eng. Roy Kathavarayan makes his remarks during the visit of the COMESA delegation at the Kawumu Tannery Uganda factory in Luwero. (Photo by PPU/Tony Rujuta)

Abdul Hakim Ssekandi is serving as board member of Africa Leather Institute and is also the chairman of the Leather Industry in Uganda.

He commended the Government for the great strides made so far in developing the leather industry, saying it is a sign that the dream of adding value to leather has come to reality.

Ssekandi said that Uganda by 1998 had only two privately-owned tanneries – one in Jinja and another in Masaka – all nowhere next to value addition. He said since then, through their advocacy role, Uganda now has eight tanneries.

He hailed the efforts to develop the leather industry and promised support from the private players.

“We assure you that all the tanners are not here for competition. We are ready to co-operate, compliment and collaborate,” said Ssekandi, adding that with support of the Government to the private players, the challenges facing the leather industry in Uganda will be history.

He called upon the Government to implement the value chain strategy passed in 2015 which will soon be reviewed.

The Kawumu Tannery Uganda Executive Director Eng. Roy Kathavarayan shows the State House Controller Jane Barekye shoes made from the leather from Kawumu Tannery Uganda factory. (Photo by PPU/Tony Rujuta)

Finished leather can be fashioned into a wide range of products, including shoes and boots, belts, gloves, luggage purses, and recreational equipment as well as industrial items like buffing wheels and machine belts.

President Museveni has on several occasions boasted of being the leading promoter of value addition to goods produced in Uganda, despite pulling ropes with what he termed as “parasites who work for foreign interests and political actors".

Kawumu Tannery Uganda is run by Eng. Roy Kathavarayan, an Indian with 40 years of experience in the leather industry.