Govt moves to avert flooding in Mbale Industrial Park

The government has started re-channelling River Nashibisho in Mbale Sino Industrial Park in order to prevent flooding.

River Nashibisho, which runs through the park, was one of the rivers that burst their banks in Mbale City on August 3 last year, killing 27 people and displaced hundreds.

While touring the park at the weekend, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija told journalists that the government through the ministry of Works has started working on infrastructural development in the park.

 “We want to solve the problem of flooding in unison with the investors because the previous incident left huge damages. We will also equip the park with fire fighters to help in case of fire outbreak,” he said.

The industrial park, which was commissioned in 2018 with a total investment portfolio of $600m (Shs2.2 trillion), currently houses about 36 functional factories on a 619-acre land. It currently employs more than 3,000 workers.

Early this year, a fire broke out at Grace Foam (U) Ltd, which produces mattresses, destroying property worth millions of shillings.

Mr Kasaija said the government will also allocate funds to work on the road network within the park, saying industrial parks have potential to solve the unemployment challenge.

Pledge

 “Industrial parks create jobs for the youth because every year, we release on the job market about 700,000 graduates but the jobs the government has so far created are between 300,000 and 400,000,” he said.

“The issue now is how do we absorb the balance into job market and the easiest way is through the industries,” he added.

The cultural leader of Inzu Ya Masaaba, Mr Mike Jude Mudoma, said the government should provide incentives to encourage more investors into the park.

 “When the economy expands through the establishment of more factories, the government will collect more revenue and also jobs for the youth will be created in big numbers. This is how countries develop,” he said.

Mr Mudoma further said the crime rates in the area has reduced because most of the youth have secured jobs in the park.

The park also donated Shs20 million towards renovation of the dilapidated cultural institution’s offices in Maluku at the weekend.

Plan

Mr Paul Zhang, the chairperson of Sino Uganda, Mbale Industrial Park, said if all factories are completed, the park will be in position to employ 12,000 workers in different positions.

 “The factories will reduce dependence on imports and that will also improving labour skills, employment opportunities and revenue,” he said.

Last month, President Museveni commissioned 16 factories at the park.

Among the products being produced in the park are glass, textile, household detergents, mobile phones, smart televisions, baby diapers, clothes, Led bulbs, tubes, electrical meters and socks.