Use industrial park to improve livelihood – President Nyusi
Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, (2nd right) tours Kawumu farm in Luweero District yesterday. PHOTO / PPU
What you need to know:
- Mr Filipe made the remarks at Kapeeka Industrial Park, also known as Liao Shen Industrial Park, after a guided tour of the different projects and their production chains. GoodWill Uganda Ceramic Company Ltd that manufactures tiles was among those President Filipe toured.
The President of Mozambique, Mr Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, has called upon the people of Nakaseke District to make good use of Kapeeka Industrial Park to empower themselves and develop their country.
“One advantage is that this land, which was in the past the birth of liberation, is now the birth of development, so it’s important to say that we will empower our people for development. This is a place where employment is generated and by doing so, we can empower ourselves and develop,” President Filipe said yesterday.
Mr Filipe made the remarks at Kapeeka Industrial Park, also known as Liao Shen Industrial Park, after a guided tour of the different projects and their production chains. GoodWill Uganda Ceramic Company Ltd that manufactures tiles was among those President Filipe toured.
He said Mozambique will send a team of experts to acquire more knowledge on setting up industrial parks which they have also started back home.
“Our visit was not in vain. We are happy to see industrial parks such as these in Uganda. We did not bring our businessmen this time but we will certainly do so and build up economic firms so that we can do things such as these as an example. One of the companies investing in these projects will, starting from this year operate in Mozambique,” he said, adding that this will also contribute to the wellbeing of veterans in Mozambique through engaging in productive work. At Kapeeka Industrial Park, Mr Nyusi was welcomed by among others, Gen Salim Saleh, who is the chairman of Operation Wealth Creation and special presidential adviser on defence and security, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen Jeje Odongo; the Minister of State for Security, Gen Jim Muhwezi; the State Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen David Muhoozi; the Minister for Energy and Mineral development, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa; the Minister of State for Defence, and Veteran Affairs, Huda Abason Oleru, and the Minister of State for Luweero Triangle, Ms Alice Kaboyo.
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Gen Saleh, who is among the ‘veterans of the armed struggles, expressed gratitude to Mr Nyusi for finding time to visit Namunkekeera rural industrial centre.
Gen Saleh recalled the time he and 27 other soldiers were training in Montepuez between 1976 and 1978 where they used to read only two books that were in the library titled, The Long Match by Chairman Mao Zedong and the other about How Europe Underdeveloped Africa a 1972 book written by Walter Rodney that describes how Africa was deliberately exploited and underdeveloped by European colonial regimes.
“So since that time, my colleagues and I have been obsessed with this idea of how Europe underdeveloped Africa. That’s why we are lucky to have the Chinese here. We don’t know whether they will develop us or underdeveloped us like the Europeans underdeveloped us but so far so good. Because they have turned soil into products, they have created jobs,” he said, adding that “we hope that the Chinese will not under-develop us.” The ceremony was also attended by the Commissioner General of Prisons, Johnson Byabashaija, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi; the Chief Political Commissar of the UPDF, Maj Gen Henry Matsiko, and the veterans from Luweero Triangle.
Before heading to Kapeeka Industrial Park, President Nyusi and delegates earlier visited Kawumu Presidential Demonstration farm and were received by the State House Under-Secretary, Ms Hope Nyakairu, and were taken around on a guided tour of the different projects at the farm that included, among others, fish farming, poultry, coffee plantation, banana farming and rabbit farming.
President Museveni commissioned the farm in Luweero in November 2016 to promote the four-acre farming model and teach farmers to adopt good farming innovativeness to create wealth.
