SIX NEW INDUSTRIAL PARKS TO ACCELERATE UGANDA’S INDUSTRIALISATION AND CREATE ONE MILLION JOBS BY 2021

BY MOSES SSERWANGA

In concerted effort to push Uganda to a middle income economy by 2020, the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) has rolled out an ambitious strategic plan to build and complete six new Industrial and Business parks.

The six (6) new Industrial and Business Parks will be located in Jinja, Nakasongola, Arua, Buliisa, Gulu and Lira districts. Government has also committed to secure an additional Ug. Shs 500bn to complete the Kampala Industrial and Business Park (KIBP), Namanve. According to the UIA five-year strategic plan which will run until 2021, the Industrial Parks are meant to promote Uganda as a destination for profitable investment, business and innovation to create an estimated 1,000,000 (one million) jobs by 2021.

The UIA strategy and the mission to develop these parks follows President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to fast track development of the 22 gazetted Industrial Parks countrywide, as a means to accelerated industrialization, create jobs, wealth and ensure inclusive development for the entire country in line with the NRM Manifesto 2016-2021.

Already, Kiira Motors Corporation is in the process of extending electricity and water to the Jinja Industrial and Business Park where their Vehicle Plant is to be situated.  The contribution to employment of the Vehicle Plant’s establishment is estimated at over 850 jobs from the Start-Up Investment. At full-scale Plant Operation, over 2,000 jobs are estimated to be created directly and over 12,000 jobs created indirectly.

The Authority also plans to develop four (4) regional Science, Technology and Industrial Parks (STIPs) during the 5-year period. Each regional STIP will house a “German-model Multi-Skills Development Center” to offer broad-based, multi-disciplinary and hands-on training in skills and trades in various industrial and technical fields--along the German model of vocational education and training.  The objectives are to produce "industry ready" skilled graduates.

UIA has also proposed another four (4) regional Israel-model Agribusiness Technical and Vocational Skills Institutes. Central Uganda’s Agribusiness Skills Institute will be located in Nakaseke District-Luwero Triangle. It will focus on crop agriculture and animal resources value chains. Eastern Uganda’s Agribusiness Skills Institute will be located on the border of Katakwi District (Teso sub-region) and Napak District (Karamoja sub-region). It will focus on dryland agriculture with irrigation and animal resources value chain.

Northern Uganda’s Agribusiness Skills Institute will be located in Rhino Camp, Arua District on the banks of the River Nile. It will focus on Aqua-culture (commercial fish farming), Apiary (commercial bee keeping and honey production), and citrus/fruits value chains. While Western Uganda’s Israel-model Agribusiness Skills Institute will be located in Kabarole District and focus on livestock and diary value chain.

UIA seeks to tap the Ug Shs 500bn Innovation Fund set by President Museveni for the four (4) regional Science, Technology and Industrial Parks; German-model Multi-Skills Development Centers, and the Israel-model Agribusiness Technical & Vocational Skills Institutes. And the Authority has projected Ug. Shs 20 bn over 5 years for the German and Israel models Technical and Vocational Skills Centers.  

The German-model Multi-Skills Development Centers will anchor and provide “Industry-ready” skilled graduates, especially for the regional Science, Technology and Industrial Parks. Meanwhile the Israel-model Agribusiness Vocational Institutes will feed into the Industrial Parks in their regional catchment areas. They will admit young people with qualifications right from ‘O’, ‘A’ levels, BTVET, diplomas and those with degrees.

The idea is to have as many youths with a diversity of qualifications as possible to benefit from these proposed world-class Skills Development Facilities, UIA sources said.

Training and mentoring in both the German and Israel model Skills Centers/Institutes are expected to take between 1-2 years maximum. UIA expects both the German and Israel BTVET models to be operational by the third year 2019/2020 and each model is expected to admit at least 500 students at the opening, and develop over 2,000 “Industry-ready” skilled graduates by 2021.

This new blue-print is geared at making Uganda a profitable hub and destination for investment. It is in turn predicated on Uganda as the land of entrepreneurial and innovative people.

UIA will also harness the international goodwill towards Uganda through global strategic partnerships with China, South Korea, Israel and Singapore to ensure that the objectives of its new strategic plan for Industrial Parks development to accelerate industrialization is achieved.

The writer is a Media and Communications Consultant/Trainer and Advocate of the High Court of Uganda

This article can also be found at: msserwanga.blogspot.com

YOUTH AND WOMEN AFFECTED BY KONY'S LRA WAR NOW ENGAGE IN AGRICULTURAL ENTREPRENUERSHIP

By Moses Sserwanga 

The youth and women are a critical mass for social and economic development and in northern Uganda a region that has steadily recovered from a brutal 20 year Jospeh Kony’s LRA war, they are leading the recovery efforts to rebuild communities that were destroyed during the civil unrest.

In the remote sub counties of Kwera and Kangai in Dokolo district the  Youth Social Work Association (YSA)  a Ugandan Non Governmental Organization is working with 2,000 households to empower youth and women to increase their agricultural business competitiveness .

 The organization  which was founded in 2005, according to Mr. William Osal (28), the Project Officer,   promotes the welfare of children and youth . YSA is currently operating in the districts of Gulu, Pader Dokolo, Bushenyi with it’s head office in Kampala.

In the 2008, YSA started working with Orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) in Dokolo district with a focus on core programme areas of education, health, child protection, Social economic support, food and nutrition as well as care and support.

Osal  says that YSA has since  distributed goats, provided household care items, uniforms and scholastic materials  to orphans and other war affected children . Training of  caregivers for abandoned children was also carried out.

“ Whileoffering these  services  we noted that there was a big  gap in business competition and gender inequalities  among the youth and  women in the war affected areas . So we wrote a proposal to aBi Trust to secure funds to promote business competiveness among women and youth sunflower producers to attract better markets and reliable incomes, Osal flanked with fellow youth, John Baguma (24) and Cate Alumo (26), explains .

 He said that the vuknerable farmers had to be trained in agricultural  production and product handling that sustains buyer needs in terms of quantity and quality. The abi Trust was accepted YSA proposal and in offered a grant of shs.400m

aBi Trust support beaars fruits 

After securing the finacial support from aBi Trust YSA has since December  2012 trained  100 women and 20 youth groups in Kwera, Knagai and Agwata sub counties in Dokolo District.

At least3,600 farmers from 100 women and 20 youth groups each with 30 members in 3 sub counties in Dokolo district  have been equiped with technical skills in sunflower production and marketing  to sustain threshold yield and quality crop production  that is attractive to targeted buyers. The farmers are also organised in groups to   improve marketing of sunflower through collective bargaining .

Gender mainstreaming in 3,600 sunflower growing households  for better utilization of proceeds from sunflower sales hence improved livelihood of both women and men has been undertaken.

And with increased incomes at the family level , the farmers the farmers have been encouraged to set up village Savings and Loans Associations to inculcate a culture of savings and investments to stir economic development in the rural areas.

The farmers have embraced the VSLAs concept and Osla says that  from 120 groups  savings portfolio has grown from zero  to shs.260m. “ This a remarkable achievement for us . Because the farmers are now in position to plan together and budget for their resources .men and women are working together which was not the case before ,” he says.

Sharon Akello, an extension work says that gender relations have greatly improved following the introduction of gender training session in the communities .“ cases of gender related violence have substantially reduced and the people are  happy to work together .

 We have also mobilized 100 and 20  new women and youth groups for support in sunflower value chain. Farmers have also been trainedin entrepreneurship, business development, negotiation skills, making of records and collective business plans“ akello stated.

Because  farmers are organised in groups , 480 pre-season planning meetings for timely and coordinated sunflower production operations have been held. The preseason planning meetings are helld once every year at the beginning of the first season per group.

The farmers with support from aBiTrust ,have received  360 Kg of certified hybrid sunflower seeds from Mukwano company for planting  in one acre demonstration gardens in each group and carry out the demonstration using farmer field school methodology.

The  demostration gardens help farmers  to acquire skills and knowledge  in sunflower agronomy, disease and pest control, post haverst handling produce management.

Couples have also bee trained in 3,600 households to carry out joint planning and benefit sharing and gender roles in sunflower value chain.

Farmers welcome  aBi Trust support

Syndrella Ebil (27) a member of the Oraibaing  youth group  said that the farmers have benefited alot from the trainings which have been extended to them by YSA  with the support of aBi  Trust

We are now preacing the gospel of  education because we can now save and take our children to  school. Our farm  yeilds have improved and everyone is happy because we are getting better income,“  she stated.

Ebil’s comments were  supported by those of Moses Otim(40) another member of the group  who said that their group had mobilised savings of shs.2m and families were peacefully living togther.

Achievements

§  Increased productivity using the improved hybrid sunflower seeds as opposed to the local hybbridie from 400kg per acre to 600kg per acre leading to increased income among farmers ie from 320,000= to 480,000= respectively.

§  Initiated and Promoted savings within groups and individuals up to the tune of 260,000,000= as saving portfolio.

§  There is a drastic reduction in the cases of domestic violence and improved gender relations due to intensive sensitisation carried out by gender change Agents. For example gender based violence cases have reduced from 30-340 cases to 5-10 cases reported in a month in three sub counties.

§  YSA registered 120 women and youth groups with the sub counties as viable enterprises. This has guaranteed for them support from other government interventions and development partners.

§  There is increased knowledge and skills in growing sunflower hence increase in production ie on average, individuals are now growing at least two acres compared to half or nothing before the intervention.

Challenges

§  Sunflower as an enterprise is dominated by Mukwano as the supllier of seeds and a buyer of the proceeds, this tend to make framers adhere to unfair business terms  offered especially pricing.

§  It is becomig extreamly difficult for the VSLA groups to manage thier saving portfolios as they continue growing. Therefore theirs need to set up Saccos that will help manage farmers’ savings better.

§  Unfavourable weather patternsresulting to poor harvest by farmers.

§  There is also problem of transporting the farmers produce  to the nearest market. For the members of Oraibaing youth group the nearest  market is in Kwangwata  which is a long distance .

§  Women are also faced with the problem of accessing land due to traditional barriers.

  

Exit strategy/Sustainability mechanisms

YSA has designed to main ideas for sustainability of the project benefits;

1.    Procurement of a sunflower processing plantaccording to their business  plan.

2.    Starting a Savings and Credit Cooperative.

The writer is a  Media and  Communications consultant/Advocate of the High Court of Uganda