President Museveni on Tuesday commissioned the first phase of the Uganda-China Free Zone of International Industrial Cooperation project in Tororo.
The fertiliser factory, once operational, will mark an end to years of controversy, corruption and bribery allegations that dogged the process of awarding the mining rights to Guangzhou Dongsong Energy Group (U) Ltd.
Justice Irene Mulyagonja, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), had previously investigated the officials of the company, directorate of geological surveys and mines after it emerged that the awarding process was fraught with fraud, bribery and outright corruption. However, it later emerged that the company officials met the President; he summoned Justice Mulyagonja and rebuked her over the report, forcing her to retract it.
“These factories here, once they are fully developed, will need 140MW,” Mr. Museveni said.
“That is almost all the power produced by the old Owen Falls Dam.”
The first phase of this Sukulu Project includes an office living base, mineral dressing plant, phosphate fertilizer plant, unbaked block plant, machine repair centre and a laboratory centre.
At the completion of the three-phase project undertaken by the Dongsong Energy Group, it would have cost $620m and at its peak of production it will create 2,000 jobs.
The second phase, meant to be complete by July 2019, will see the following plants come on board; a steel plant, glass plant, ferroalloy plant, tin smelting plant, shea processing factory, humic acid fertilizer, cement fireboard plant, and a wood factory.
For the third and final phase, envisaged to happen by 2020, a phosphorus chemical plant, iron foundry and medical glove factory, will be completed.
