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UIA asked to deliver 2m jobs in next five years
UIA will in the next five years be required to pursue an aggressive industrialisation agenda. Photo| File
What you need to know:
- Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) has in the last five years struggled with a number of challenges, among which include corruption and poor leadership.
The success of Mr Robert Mukiza, the new Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) director general will be dependent on the number of jobs the investment promotions agency would deliver by the end of his five-year tenure.
Over the next five years, Mr Mukiza is expected to attract sufficient foreign and domestic investments that should culminates into at least two million jobs.
Speaking during the handover and inauguration of Mr Mukiza, Mr Morrison Rwakakamba, the new UIA chairman, said unlike before, this time round the board will be impatient with under performance, noting that they will not think twice before pulling the plug once they believe that agreed parameters, key among which include creating jobs, are not met.
Speaking at the same event, State Minister for Investment and Privatisation Evelyn Anite, supported the board’s position, saying: “You either shape up and match the speed or ship out because that is just the way it is.”
The two million jobs, according to Ms Anite, will mainly be expected from industries and manufacturing, noting that government was ready to support UIA deliver its mandate.
UIA has struggled to shake off internal wrangles in the last five years resulting from poor leadership, corruption and cliques that have over the years sought to control the investments agency.
Ms Anite said the appointment of Mr Mukiza had been premised on his wealth of experience, which includes sourcing close to $500m for the Ethiopian government when he was the deputy director of the Global Green Growth Institute.
In a May 2 letter, President Museveni instructed Finance Minister Matia Kasaija to execute the appointment of Mr Mukiza, who he said had passed the interview but “I had told you to freeze the appointment until the issue of Ms [Jolly] Kaguhangire is resolved”.
Ms Kaguhangire was in 2018 interdicted by the UIA board following a number of allegations, which included gross insubordination, incompetence, concealment, and misinformation and lying to the board, defiance and illegal recruitment of staff, among others.
Mr Mukiza will also be required to increase the number of factories in Namanve Business and Industrial Park from 71 to 500.
The business park has been a centre of a number of controversies, among which include corruption, which saw the World Bank pullout committed resources.
Mr Lawrence Byensi, the outgoing UIA director general, who has served UIA in acting capacity for about two years, urged Mr Mukiza to involve staff in every agenda of his leadership, noting it would be the most important resource in pushing UIA to achieve its targets.
