1,200 acres, 200,000 jobs: Uganda bets big on new industrial hub

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On the surface, it is just land—1,200 acres in Lusenke, Kayunga District. But for Uganda’s economic planners, it represents something far larger: a bet on industrialisation, jobs, and the country’s long-promised economic transformation.

That vision took a step forward last week when the State Minister for Privatisation and Investment, Evelyn Anite, hosted a delegation of Chinese investors led by industrial developer Paul Zhang, a familiar figure in Uganda’s growing network of industrial parks.

Zhang is not new to the country. Through projects such as the Tian-Tang Mbale Industrial Park and Mbalala Industrial Park, he has helped attract manufacturers from China, setting up factories that produce everything from mattresses to electronics and household goods. His model has been simple—build the infrastructure, bring in investors, and let industry follow.

Now, that model is being extended.

During the meeting, Anite confirmed that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has offered Zhang more than 1,200 acres of land in Lusenke, Kayunga District, to support further investment. The move signals government’s intent to deepen industrial growth beyond existing hubs.

“Our vision is not just to dream of a $500 billion economy but to turn this dream into reality,” Anite said in a statement released by the Uganda Media Centre. “We are looking at practical investments that will transform our economy and create opportunities for Ugandans.”

For many Ugandans, such announcements often feel distant—big numbers, big promises. But the government is framing this project in more immediate terms: jobs, infrastructure, and local opportunity.

According to the minister, the planned industrial park could create more than 200,000 jobs over the coming years, particularly for young graduates and trained engineers. That figure, if realised, would represent one of the largest employment boosts linked to a single industrial zone in the country.

The types of projects being considered offer a glimpse into what that might look like. Government is planning developments such as a solar energy plant and a chemical manufacturing facility—investments intended to support both production and energy stability.

At a practical level, that could mean more reliable power for factories, reduced production costs, and a wider range of goods produced locally rather than imported.

Location is part of the strategy.

Lusenke sits near a hydropower station, giving it access to relatively stable electricity—an essential requirement for industrial activity. But the plan goes beyond factories. The vision, as outlined by Anite, includes a broader ecosystem: schools, hospitals, and shopping facilities designed to support workers and their families. In other words, not just an industrial park, but a working community.

The government has also identified priority sectors expected to benefit from such investments, including agro-industrialisation, tourism, mineral-based industries, and science and technology. These are areas where Uganda has long sought to move beyond raw exports and into value addition—processing, manufacturing, and higher-value production.

If successful, the Kayunga project could contribute to that shift.

For investors, the opportunity is clear. Uganda offers a growing market, a young workforce, and a strategic position within the region. For the government, the challenge is turning that potential into tangible results.

That is where partnerships like this come in.

Zhang’s role, officials say, is not just to invest directly, but to act as a bridge—mobilising other investors to follow. It is an approach already tested in Mbale, where industrial activity has gradually taken root.

Still, questions remain as large-scale industrial projects often take years to materialise fully. Land allocation is only the first step. Infrastructure must be built, investors secured, and operations sustained. For communities in and around Lusenke, the real impact will be measured not in acres allocated, but in jobs created and livelihoods improved.

Lu Wei, Deputy General Manager of Shenzhen Mingyang Technology Company, part of the visiting delegation, said the company is considering establishing a presence in Uganda. The firm specialises in battery storage solutions—technology that could support factories and industrial power systems by ensuring a stable energy supply.

Such investments, if realised, would complement the broader industrial plan, helping address one of the key constraints to manufacturing: consistent and reliable power.

Back in Kampala, Anite’s message was as much about national direction as it was about a single project.

She called on Ugandans to support investors choosing the country as a destination, framing the partnership as mutually beneficial—foreign capital meeting local opportunity.

The broader ambition remains unchanged: to move Uganda toward a $500 billion economy through industrial growth, job creation, and expanded exports.

For now, the land has been offered. The investors are listening. And the government is making its case—not just in policy, but in projects meant to bring that policy to life.