PRESIDENTS MUSEVENI AND RUTO BREAK GROUND FOR USD 500 MILLION DEVKI MEGA STEEL PLANT, PLEDGE INDUSTRIAL LIBERATION FOR AFRICA

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his Kenyan counterpart William
Samoei Ruto today presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of USD
500 million Devki Mega Steel Plant in Kayoro Village, Osukuru County,
Tororo District, marking the start of one of East Africa’s most ambitious
industrial investments.

The vertically integrated steel facility, developed by Kenyan industrialist
Dr. Narendra Raval (Guru) of the Devki Group, will employ 15,000
Ugandans in Tororo and Mbarara at commencement.

Dr. Raval emphasized that the majority of these jobs will come from the
integrated steel operations and related activities supported by
investments already made in Tororo, Mbarara, and the upcoming Kabale
Iron Ore refinery.

President Museveni placed the event within Africa’s broader historical
struggle, noting that the continent has endured centuries of exploitation
and economic injustice.

He said that for over 500 years, Africa has been losing value through the
slave trade, colonial systems, and modern economic practices that
extract raw materials without adding value.

“Today, with the groundbreaking ceremony of the Devki Mega Steel
project in Tororo, alongside H.E President William Ruto of Kenya, we are
in the process of liberating Africa,” President Museveni said.

He also emphasized that this liberation involves stopping the long-
standing trend of exporting African minerals and jobs.

“At full operationalization, we shall be one step closer to reversing the
squandering of Africa’s resources—human, mineral, jobs, and foreign
exchange,” he added.

The President thanked H.E Ruto for encouraging Dr. Raval to set up in
Uganda, acknowledging Kenya’s recognition that Uganda is a natural
source of key raw materials and that regional collaboration is essential
for collective prosperity.

He congratulated Dr. Raval for investing heavily in Uganda and urged
full production of steel sheets and other intermediate products locally so
that Uganda keeps value within its borders.

President Museveni further revealed that Dr. Raval will also start another
major iron ore project in Kabale that will create more than 16,000 jobs,
expanding industrial opportunities across the country.

He cautioned Ugandans against frustrating investors with compensation
disputes and assured that the government would handle necessary
payments.

“The man is going to invest USD 500 million here, so please don’t bother
him about money for compensation. The government will handle that,”
he said.

President Museveni warned that Uganda loses an estimated USD 5
billion each year through imports that could instead be manufactured
domestically.

He described Uganda’s current road-based cargo system as “irrational,”
welcoming the expansion of the Standard Gauge Railway towards
Tororo, which he said would support large industries like Devki and lower
transport costs.
“What is happening here shows you that the future is bright, and the rest
will come,” he said.
President Ruto said the ceremony was more than the start of a factory; it
marked a bold new chapter in Africa’s industrialization and the
strengthening of regional value chains.
He paid tribute to President Museveni for his long-standing commitment
to industrial development and commended the cooperation that brought
the Tororo investment to fruition.
President Ruto emphasized that the steel plant will generate
employment for the youth, support regional supply chains, and anchor
East Africa’s self-sufficiency.
“We convene here not just to commission a factory, but to usher in a
new, audacious chapter in Africa’s industrialization ambitions,” he said.
He also praised President Museveni for championing regional integration
within the East African Community (EAC), saying the environment of
cooperation across the region is what enables projects like Devki Steel
to succeed.
He noted that the Tororo plant will grow to 20,000 employees across
East Africa by 2027 and highlighted Africa’s rising steel demand,
projected to increase from 39.5 million tonnes in 2024 to 52 million
tonnes by 2034. He said Kenya will, in January, launch the next phase of

the Standard Gauge Railway from Mombasa to Naivasha and from
Rironi to Malaba, eventually extending to Tororo to support large-scale
manufacturing.
Dr. Raval, Chairman of Devki Group, thanked President Museveni for
guiding the project and insisting that it be built in Tororo to create jobs for
the people of the region. He pledged that 90 percent of the factory’s
workforce will be Ugandans.
“At this juncture, I would like to promise the Tororo community that
whatever employment will be in the factory, 90% of the jobs will be
allocated to Tororo and the surrounding communities only.”
He also stressed that industrialization is the only path to prosperity.
“Importing steel is importing poverty,” he said. “We must produce here,
create jobs here, and empower the youth.”
He also praised President Ruto for stabilizing Kenya’s economy and
curbing inflation, saying such reforms have created a conducive
environment for regional investors.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community
Affairs, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga said the Mega Steel Project is an
important milestone for East Africa and evidence of deepening regional
industrial integration.
The Energy Minister, Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa described the
groundbreaking as a landmark and historic event in Uganda’s
industrialization journey.
She said the project aligns with the government’s commitment to
expanding industrial capacity and emphasized that once completed, the

factory must deliver tangible social and economic benefits for
communities across the region.
Hon. Nankabirwa also thanked President Ruto for his support toward the
project and praised the collaboration that made the investment possible.