BUSINESS | INDUSTRIALISATION | PADER 

PADER - Pader district Local Government in northern Uganda has allocated 500 acres of land to the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) for the establishment of an industrial park in Agora ranch, Pader Kilak Sub County.

This comes after a resolution was passed during a council meeting held on 13 October 2021 by the district council.

The resolution included; welcoming the government program on industrialisation, non-interference of the industrial expansion with private individual land, compensation of crops for the people who were using the land if the UIA decided to embark on site development and allocation of jobs to the locals during the construction of the factories and after.

Speaking during the event, Pader Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Dusman Okee who was also named the Brand Ambassador by UIA for the Industrial park in Acholi Sub Region noted that UIA chose the right district for the establishment of the industrial park.

“Today is my happiest day in life, I am so grateful that you are finally here. I want to assure you that, by choosing Pader district of all the districts in the northern region you made the right decision because we have enough land for even future expansion in case the need arises,” he bragged.

Robert Mukiza, Director General, UIA thanked the district leadership for embracing industrialisation agenda and assured the locals that the industrial park will be set up and locals will benefit immensely. (All Photos by Shamim Saad)

Okee also noted that, so far, 5 investors have expressed interest to set up factories and developing the industrial park.

Pader District Woman Member of Parliament (MP), Paska Aciro Menya said the establishment of the industrial park will improve the livelihoods of the locals hence development.

“I have no doubt that this development is a blessing to the district which will bring light in the darkness. I promise to give it all the necessary support as a committee member of finance,” she alluded.

Aciro also called for the consideration of the locals first in terms of employment opportunities so that they can be the first ones to benefit from the park.

“Please ensure that all the kinds of works the locals can do, let them be the first to benefit, do not only look at the petty works rather train them to get the right skills for the available jobs, that way, but we shall also be able to defend this project,” she said.

Response to the locals’ plea

The State Minister for Investment, Evelyn Anite, hailed the Pader district leaders for allocating the land and assured them of development in the district which will be transformed into an industrial hub which in turn will also accommodate Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) hence employment opportunities.

Locals welcome the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) team and district leaders with the traditional dance as a way of appreciating the upcoming industrial development which will better their standard of living

She further cited that Pader district has a comparative advantage to benefit from the industrial park because they grow crops like Shea butter, cassava, sorghum, Sim Sim, among others that will be needed as raw materials for factories to process before they are exported to the market.

"The only way we can achieve the middle-income status as a country is by setting up industries that at the end will provide jobs to the locals and use local raw materials into value addition hence promoting Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) policy,” she explained.

She added, “The district has a ready potential market for the products in the neighbouring countries like South Sudan and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).”

Anite also thanked the President for bringing peace in the county which has set a conducive environment for development citing that 20 years ago, it was not possible to talk about industrialization in northern Uganda because of the insurgency.

UIA speak out

Robert Mukiza, Director General, UIA thanked the district leadership for embracing the industrialisation agenda and assured the locals that the industrial park will be set up and locals will benefit immensely.

“Thanks for embracing industrialisation in your district, with our team being here, I can assure you that this will come into operationalization and for the betterment of the locals,” he said.

Mukiza further noted that although many districts in Acholi had expressed willingness to allocate land to UIA, Pader’s land was the most strategically located and this gave a reasonable advantage of having raw material and being close to the regional market.

The Chairman, UIA, Morrisson Rwakakamba said “the establishment of the 25 industrial parks in the regions is in line with the National Resistance Movement (NRMA) manifesto of securing the future which will be set up in the next 5 years (current term).”

Districts that have so far offered land in the northern region include; Nebbi district 511 acres, Madi Okollo 515 acres, Yumbe 1200 acres, Oyam 154 acres, Lira City 500 acres, and Dokolo 500 acres.