Rwenzori leaders to meet Museveni over stalled industrial park

KABAROLE – Leaders and stakeholders from Rwenzori Sub region have resolved to meet President Museveni over stalled Kabarole Agro Industrial Park.

The industrial park ,which was launched in 2018 by the senior presidential advisor on defence and security, Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho a.k.a Salim Saleh, is yet to set off because of the existing conflict on the proposed land for its establishment.

During the meeting of stakeholders and Kabarole district leadership held at the district headquarters in Kitumba recently, the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and aAntiquities, Tom Butime said the establishment of the industrial park is long overdue.

“All other municipalities and cities have already started development of industrial parks but the one in Kabarole has delayed due to conflicts on the proposed land. Its high time we met the President to discuss the matter and resolve it,” Butime said.

He said the industrial park is urgently needed because industrialisation is the way to go if the area is to develop through the utilistion of its natural resources.

“This proposed industrial park was expected to create jobs for more than 2,000 people whether skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled. It was also expected to help farmers in the region add value to their produce,” Butime said.

The Kabarole district LCV chairperson, Richard Rwabuhinga said construction of the park which was supposed to commence in 2019 at the proposed site in Kyembogo,Rwengaju Sub-county is long overdue.

“The issue of land ownership is what has delayed the establishment of the park. I previous petitioned president Museveni over the matter but I have never received any reply and yet the matter needs urgent attention,” Rwabuhinga said.

He said the delay in the implementation of the project has disappointed residents who are now calling for the attention of the Head of State.

Two weeks ago a group of six concerned citizens including the former mayor Fort Portal City, Rev. Willy Muhanga were arrested for holding ‘unlawful assembly’ in protest of the sluggish process of establishing the industrial park.

The concerned citizens were arrested from the proposed site of the industrial park where they had camped for prayers.

However, they have since been released on bail after spending one week on remand.

Rev. Fr. Isaiah Mayombo who represented the chairperson of the Uganda Inter Religious Council Tooro Chapter advised stakeholders and the district leadership to draft a document that will be presented to the President Museveni.

“We need to speak with one voice and show the president how we urgently need this industrial park and what we have lost because of its delay. What has delayed the park is not an individual person but a government institution which would not have done so,” he said.

Background

The land where the proposed site for the establishment of the park is located needs to be reverted from the Uganda Land Commission [ULC] to Uganda Investment Authority for the industrial park to take off.

However, this reporter has learnt that Kabarole District Local Government and National Agricultural Research Organisation’s Rwebitaba Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute [ZARDI] are locked in a disagreement.

At the centre of the dispute is the land where the industrial park is supposed to be established.

The industrial park was to be established with the purpose of adding value to farmers’ produce such as bananas, tea, dairy, coffee, milk and cocoa among others in the region.

The dispute stems from a 2014 presidential directive to ULC to allocate 200 acres of land at Kyembogo in Rwengaju Sub-county to Mountains of the Moon University to set up a dairy research centre.

In 2012, NARO took over management of Kyembogo and it became a ZARDI. Kyembogo located in Rwengaju Sub-county was formerly the District Agricultural Training and Information Centre [DATIC].

Currently, NARO is using part of the land for research and technology dissemination in livestock, crops, fisheries and forestry.

On this land, Kabarole district had secured 100acres for the establishment of the industrial park, NARO is using 202 acres and MMU has 200 acres.

Industrialisation plan.

UIA was tasked to develop 25 industrial and business parks around the country with an aim of creating more jobs, easing accessibility to land for investments, introduce new research, technologies and skills development as well as boosting Uganda’s exports hence increasing Uganda’s revenue base.

The completion of these industrial parks will add value to locally available raw materials thus boosting the agricultural and mineral sectors.

https://thecooperator.news/kabarole-residents-demand-answers-on-stalled-agro-industrial-park/

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