Growing demand for heavy machinery opens new business opportunities
Speaking at the launch of new heavy machinery products in Kampala on Friday, the Minister of Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama, said Uganda should look beyond importing construction equipment and instead build businesses and skills around the growing machinery market.
Dr Eng. Timothy Tebesigwa, Commissioner for Mechanical Engineering Services and Chief Mechanical Engineer at the Ministry of Works and Transport (L), shaking hands with Mark van Rooyen, the General Manager of Mobikey Uganda. (Photo by Moses Kigongo)
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Uganda’s growing investment in roads, irrigation infrastructure and commercial agriculture is creating new business opportunities around the heavy machinery sector, with the government calling for greater local participation in the industry.
Speaking at the launch of new heavy machinery products in Kampala on Friday, the Minister of Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama, said Uganda should look beyond importing construction equipment and instead build businesses and skills around the growing machinery market.
Represented by Dr Eng. Timothy Tebesigwa, Commissioner Mechanical Engineering Services and Chief Mechanical Engineer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, the minister disclosed that the increasing number of heavy machines being deployed in Uganda presents opportunities in equipment maintenance, spare-parts supply, operator training, machinery hire and other related services.
Dr Eng. Timothy Tebesigwa preparing to pose for a picture with Mark van Rooyen, the General Manager of Mobikey Uganda. (Photo by Moses Kigongo)
“Uganda needs to capture more value from the machinery business,” Byamukama said, stressing the importance of local involvement in assembly, maintenance and technical skills development.
His message points to a wider commercial opportunity as demand for heavy equipment grows alongside infrastructure development and the expansion of mechanised agriculture.
The agricultural sector, in particular, offers a range of applications for heavy machinery beyond conventional construction. Excavators can be used in the construction of fish ponds, valley dams and livestock water points, as well as in irrigation and other land-development activities.
This wider application means that farmers, agricultural investors and contractors may increasingly look to equipment-hire businesses rather than purchasing and maintaining expensive machinery themselves, creating another potential avenue for private-sector investment.
The government’s continued focus on infrastructure development and agro-industrialisation is also expected to sustain demand for machinery as investment in roads, water infrastructure and agricultural production expands.
The remarks were made during the launch of Mobikey Uganda’s new products, including the Hyundai R220LS and R340L excavators, at the company’s newly acquired facility along Port Bell Road in Bugolobi, Kampala, with the equipment supplied by Hyundai Construction Equipment Uganda.