BUSINESS | INDUSTRIALISATION | UKEF 

KAMPALA - The team from UK Export Finance (UKEF) which is in the country to inspect a number of projects they are funding on Tuesday said they were impressed with the progress of infrastructure works at the Kampala Industrial and Business Park (KIBP).

UKEF team led by Riham Mansour on Tuesday met the UIA Director General Robert Mukiza together with his team at the Namanve Industrial Park offices and also toured the ongoing construction at the KIPB.

UKEF is funding the construction of critical infrastructure within the park which will connect all clusters in the 2,200-acre facility located in Wakiso and Mukono district to the national grid of roads water electricity and sewage among others.

The joint construction project is being undertaken by the joint venture of LaganDott Namanve Limited. 

Paul Deasy (L), Kampala Industrial Business Park Project Manager explains work progress in the park. (All Photos by Alfred Ochwo)

Mansour noted that they were in the country to evaluate the projects they were funding and that they had come to UIA to evaluate what they were funding and also look at the future projects UIA had to offer.

Mukiza informed the team that top on the agenda was industrial development and that President Yoweri Museveni had given them an ambitious program of setting up 5 industrial parks per year and that UIA was keen at citing the locations.

"UIA is implementing the Presidential directive of setting up 25 industrial parks in 5 years. We have mobilized over 8.5 Square miles of unencumbered land, that is, not in wetland, not in forest or ecological reserve and squatter free. We shall also ensure that new park development follows green industrial park development guidelines," Mukiza said.

Work progressing at Lagan DOTT Namanve limited.

The UIA team noted that they were now securing the land and undertaking feasibility studies and called upon UKEF to support them. 

He noted that the industrial parks would create jobs, import substitution and export more among others.

The UKEF revealed that they had since eased conditions for securing loans and urged the Government of Uganda to submit applications by November 5, this year.

Eng. Andrew Bamanya, the chairman of the board of Lagan-Dott JV noted that it was in their interest that the project be completed in time. 

“It is in our interest we complete the project in time and as soon as possible and the benefits have already been realized by the industries. When you were driving through, you should have realized that everywhere we are opening, industries are popping up and trying to do their construction and some of the access road we are opening up are actually been new completely. To give you our word of comfort, we are certain and we want this to be our flagship project and we are proud to push it as much as we can,” Bamanya said.

The General scope of works being undertaken by LaganDott at KIPB includes integrated road network and bridge, water supply, sewerage network, water treatment plants, power services, fiber optic services, street lighting, CCTV services, SME Works spaces among others.

Bamanya also thanked the Minister for State for Investment Evelyn Anite for the tiresome efforts she had accorded the project, Board of Directors and management of UIA and the British Government in Partnership with Standard Chartered Bank for allowing to support the project financially.

KIBP Infrastructure Project Manager Alex Nuwagira noted raised some of the challenges the project had faced citing the insufficient road corridors, cash flow and covid-19 which he said had partially delayed the project but that the delays had since been resolved by among others, having the contractor mobilise additional workforce.

Eric Olanya, Country Director at Department for International Trade - Uganda, British High Commission said they were impressed with the works done at the park. 

“We have been coming to visit the project but every time you have been coming, you have been making significant progress and thank you for the good work. We will get the issues you have raised with us and we will get the project flying,” UK embassy head.

Andrew Bamanya (R), Lagan DOTT chairman of Board of Directors explains the road work progress at Namanve Business Park.

Nuwagira appreciated the team from UK for the support. “As you can see there is a lot of progress on the ground and we want to push more cognizant of the fact that that are issues we must address. We appreciate the British High Commission for its continuous support. 

The Contractors and the owner's engineer are here with us every day and we are committed to making sure this project is done,” Nuwagira stated.

The General scope of works being undertaken by LaganDott at KIPB includes integrated road network and bridge, water supply, sewerage network, water treatment plants, power services, fiber optic services, street lighting, CCTV services, SME Works spaces among others.

So far the contractor is already working on 15 out of the 42kms of roads within the park.