Uganda: We Want an Industrial Park in Mbarara - Leaders

2 December 2025
Nile Post (Kampala)
By Alex Mugasha

Mbarara City Mayor and National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer, Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi, has called on President Museveni to address unemployment in the city by prioritizing the establishment of an industrial park.

Kakyebezi made the appeal during a Monday campaign rally at Booma Grounds, also known as the Golf Course, emphasizing that the park would create jobs for youth from the greater Ankole region.

"I want the president to prioritize establishing an industrial park in Mbarara City, which will act as a regional hub so that our children from the greater Ankole region can get jobs here," Kakyebezi said.

He highlighted the government's efforts in improving infrastructure and supporting social and economic groups through programs like Emyooga SACCOs, noting that roads have been repaired and bridges like Katete Bridge attended to.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

Former Mbarara City Mayor and NRM Chairman Wilson Tumwine urged the government to consider offering land in the Ruti Forest Reserve for industrial development.

"Our young entrepreneurs have done amazingly well, but they need more land for expansion. We have been proposing the Ruti Forest Reserve so investors can establish factories," Tumwine said.

President Museveni responded positively, expressing willingness to establish the industrial park but noting that Ruti Forest Reserve is too small.

"The Ruti Forest Reserve is small; we need bigger land. Establish a larger area and I will bring you an industrial park like the ones I gave to Kampala and Mbale," Museveni said.

Mbarara City currently hosts over 20 factories, including beverage, soft drink, hardware, and tin refinery industries, alongside a presidential industrial hub.

Meanwhile, Mbarara City Woman Member of Parliament and independent candidate, Rita Atukwasa Bwahika, highlighted the need to upgrade Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital to national referral status.

"We have a regional referral hospital that currently serves citizens from neighboring countries. We request the government to consider upgrading it to national referral status," Atukwasa said, adding that population growth since the city became a regional hub necessitates expansion of facilities and new infrastructure.

Read the original article on Nile Post.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2025 Nile Post. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.