Youth protest over idle Shs1b soap, oil factory
Protest. Youth demonstrate in front of the abandoned soap factory at Bukolooto Trading Centre, Kayunga District on Tuesday
Some youth in Kayunga Town, Kayunga District, have protested the continued closure of a Shs1b soap and cooking oil factory meant to offer them job opportunities.
The angry youth on Tuesday staged a demonstration in front of the factory at Bukolooto Trading Centre.
The factory, which is part of the Kayunga Industrial Development Park initiative, was donated by President Museveni to the youth in 2013.
It has since 2014 remained abandoned while trucks and a tractor, which were meant to be used to transport raw materials and finished products to and from the factory, are now hired out to cattle traders and farmers.
Sources who preferred anonymity told this newspaper that most of the machinery for the factory have been sold off.
Mr Toofa Kasule, a youth mobiliser in Kayunga District, who led the demonstration, said they want President Museveni to task the newly created State House Anti-corruption Unit headed by Lt Col Edith Nakalema to investigate circumstances under which the factory was ruined by some leaders in Kayunga.
They claim Ms Idah Nantaba, the former State minister for ICT, was entrusted with the property but has not lobbied enough for its operationalisation.
Ms Nantaba, the Kayunga District Woman MP, declined to comment on the matter when contacted, but in an earlier interview, she said the factory closed due to lack of raw materials.
“The factory hit a snag, initially the plan was to buy the raw materials [sunflower and groundnuts] from other areas such as Soroti, Pallisa, Kaberamaido and some parts of Busoga Sub-region, where the needed raw materials are cultivated, but it was not cost-effective to do so because of the high costs involved, including transporting the raw materials to the factory,” Ms Nantaba said in the interview.
President aware?
Security sources that declined to be named said President Museveni was aware of the ruined factory and would take action at an appropriate time.
Both Kayunga and the neigbouring districts of Mukono, Buikwe and Luweero are not known for sunflower or groundnuts growing because of their unsuitable climate and soils for both crops.
