Kyotera District Set for New Industrial Park Modeled on Successful Sino-Mbale Hub
Kyotera, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged to establish a major industrial park in Lukoma, Kyotera District, that will mirror the success of the Sino-Mbale Industrial Park, a key engine for jobs and manufacturing growth in eastern Uganda.
Speaking at a campaign rally on Friday, December 19, 2025, at St. James Secondary School in Kyotera town, Museveni said the proposed park will boost economic activity and create employment opportunities for youth in the region. He drew on the example of the Sino-Mbale Industrial Park—a flagship project that hosts roughly 75 factories and employs about 12,000 people—as a template for Kyotera’s industrial future.
“My plan is to establish here an industrial park in Lukoma near the border (with Tanzania), like what I did in Mbale,” the President announced. He made the remarks amid remarks about land encroachment issues linked to the area’s development prospects.
The proposed project aligns with Uganda’s broader industrialisation strategy, which has seen industrial parks play an increasing role in economic development. Industrial parks are planned zones where manufacturing, processing, and logistics firms cluster—benefiting from shared infrastructure and incentives. President Museveni’s government has committed to expanding such parks to drive investment, create jobs, and reduce reliance on imports.
For example, the Sino-Mbale Industrial Park—established with Chinese investment—has attracted more than 40 companies producing a range of goods including electronics, textiles, and household products. It has become a model for industrial growth, showcasing how industrial zones can increase employment and support local supply chains.
The Kyotera initiative would complement existing industrial hubs across Uganda, including Namanve Industrial Park in Mukono District, which has become one of the country’s largest industrial estates with hundreds of factories, and other emerging parks in regions such as Mbale, Jinja and Soroti.
Government officials and economists see such developments as critical to Uganda’s long-term goal of transforming into a middle-income, semi-industrialised economy, with industrial parks serving as catalysts for manufacturing growth, export expansion and youth employment.
If realized, the Kyotera industrial park could enhance economic linkages with neighboring Tanzania, leveraging the district’s proximity to the border and transport corridors such as the Masaka–Mutukula Road.
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