Kapeeka gets ceramics, fruits processing plants

NAKASEKE. Chinese investors have set up a chain of plants in Namunkekera in Kapeeka, Nakaseke District for manufacturing tiles and food and fruit processing.
Touring the site at the Uganda Liaoshen Industrial Park in Kapeeka on Tuesday, Minister of State for Investment Ms Evelyn Anite said the government’s initiative of creating industrial parks has started yielding fruits.

“We are proud of the more than 1000 new jobs created for our youth. We have also taken concern about the challenges regarding the power distribution where the factories need stable power supply. This problem is being addressed through the construction of a power substation in Kapeeka,” Anite said.
Chinese investors have set up fruit processing, food processing and ceramics industries at the industrial park.

Managers at Industrial Park revealed that the factories under Goodwill Ceramics and HO and MU have at least 154 Chinese as operators and 1016 Ugandan employees. They said more jobs are expected by end of April when the Ceramics factory starts producing tiles from materials which are 92% locally sourced in Uganda.
“Goodwill Ceramics Company with an initial investment worth $30m has provided jobs to 1016 Ugandans and about 154 Chinese nationals are among the workforce on the ground where the factory machines are being fixed to ensure we hit our target of producing finished products at the end of April 2018,” the authorities said in a statement read to Minister Anite during the tour.

The Minister was accompanied by the Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation Gen Salim Saleh.
According to the statement, the Ceramics factory will have two production lines capable of producing 40,000 square metres of ceramic tiles 60% of which will serve the domestic market and 40% for export.
The factories will employ Ugandans and provide market for different raw materials to be used in the production process.
“We believe that the Uganda Liaoshen Industrial Park has come to change the image of Chinese-made products in Uganda. The ‘made in Uganda ceramic tiles’ will fully meet the international market standards because the Chinese companies have a vast experience in the industry and are a market leader in Tanzania, Nigeria among other Countries,” the statement further read.

The fruit factories are constrained to import most of the mangoes from Kenya because local supply in Uganda is not yet stable.
“We appeal to Ugandans to take advantage of the industrial park to avail the raw materials. Most districts in Uganda can grow mangoes. We also encourage the people of Nakaseke not to miss out on the job opportunities at the industrial park,” Gen Saleh said.