MOROTO, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni commissioned the first phase of a new cement clinker production line Monday, a move officials said will significantly reduce the country’s reliance on imported raw materials.
The Yaobai Cement facility, located in the Nanduget area of Moroto District, has a daily production capacity of 6,000 tonnes. Museveni was joined at the ceremony by former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe, who serves as the Africa regional ambassador for West China Cement.
Museveni praised the investment, noting that clinker accounts for approximately 85% of cement production. He said the domestic facility will save the country from high import costs and thanked the Chinese government for encouraging private investment in African manufacturing and infrastructure.
The president pledged that his administration would provide a favorable tax regime to support the factory, aligning with national investment policies. He also highlighted the industrial transformation of the Karamoja region, which he said has moved from a period of conflict to becoming a resource-rich industrial hub.
Zang Jiewen, chairman of West China Cement, said the project represents an investment of more than $300 million. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to produce 2 million tonnes of clinker and 3 million tonnes of cement annually.
Company officials estimate the factory will create more than 3,500 jobs and save Uganda approximately $200 million in annual foreign exchange by reducing clinker imports. The plant is also positioned to supply markets in South Sudan, western Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Vice President Jessica Alupo and Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa attended the event, both crediting the country’s stable investment climate for attracting large-scale industrial projects to the region.
Fan Xuecheng, the charge d’affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Uganda, said the partnership reflects the strengthening economic ties between the two nations. West China Cement officials added that the facility will utilize modern technology to maintain low-emission standards as part of a sustainable industrial ecosystem.
