Uganda’s economy is expected to create an additional 200,000 jobs once the impending redevelopment of Kampala Industrial and Business Park (KIBP) at Namanve in the Wakiso district is completed.
The revamping of the industrial park, which is expected to cost 249m euros (over sh1 trillion), according to the state minister of privatization and investment, Evelyn Anite, will “help our young people to get decent well-paying jobs”.
The breaking of the ground ceremony of the park’s redevelopment that took place yesterday at Namanve was graced by the UK minister of state for Africa and international development, Andrew Stephenson, the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala and a section of leading investors in Uganda.
“The construction and development phase will create over 8,000 high-skill jobs, in addition to about 15,000 direct low-skill jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs. At full operation, KIBP, with its 291 industries, will create over 200,000 jobs for Ugandans,” Anite said.
The redevelopment of KIBP, which is tailored to revamping infrastructures such as tarmacking roads, sewage drainage and laying of the fiber-optic network for broadband internet services, will be spearheaded by Logan, a British contractor.
Other aspects of the contract, according to Anite, include bridge construction and traffic management throughout the entire park, water distribution network — including a reservoir for the park, laying underground sewer pipes, waste treatment plant, installation of a closed-circuit television system, solar lighting and fire-fighting services like water hydrants and power services.
Currently, according to the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) data, the tarmacked road network, water connection, and power network at the park is 16%, 30%, and 18% respectively.
Drainage, railway sidings, water management system, sewage treatment facilities, and fiber optic backbone are at 0%. Currently, 50 factories are already operating at KIBP, employing over 11,000 people.
It is expected that once the park is equipped with the requisite infrastructure; new investors will put up industries on the entire 900-hectare estate. The target, according to Anite, is 500 new factories at KIBP once the revamping is complete.
However, although Anite did not give a timeline when the infrastructure redevelopment will be complete, Jerry Polly, an official of Lagan, promised to deliver “quality work in the agreed time”