President Museveni has inaugurated Phase IV Level 2 of the Ultra-Modern Rolling Mill Complex at Roofings Group in Namanve, Mukono District, commending the company for its contribution to Uganda’s industrialisation, local value addition and job creation.
The President said Uganda’s industrialisation drive must be understood against the backdrop of Africa’s economic history, arguing that colonialism disrupted indigenous manufacturing and left much of the continent dependent on exporting unprocessed raw materials.
Museveni said when the National Resistance Movement (NRM) came to power in 1986, it outlined an economic strategy through the Ten-Point Programme, including monetising the economy and building an independent, integrated and self-sustaining economy.
He identified regional integration as a key component of that strategy, saying a larger and reliable market would enable Ugandan manufacturers to expand production, create jobs and generate wealth.
“A strong market makes it easy for wealth creators to succeed. All they want is a market, and by having a big and sure market, we will create jobs and wealth,” Museveni said.
The President congratulated Roofings Group Chairman Dr Sikander Lalani for investing in local value addition and contributing to Uganda’s industrial transformation.
He noted that Roofings initially imported intermediate steel products from Japan before adding value to them in Uganda, achieving about 54 percent local value addition. The company is now moving further up the value chain by manufacturing some of the intermediate products locally.
Museveni said Uganda’s abundant iron ore deposits, including high-grade ore with purity of about 65 percent, provide an opportunity for the country to develop a competitive steel industry.
He also cited Roofings’ growth as an example of the potential of strategic industrial investment, noting that the company’s turnover had reached about Shs1.2 trillion, while exports stood at approximately US$70 million.
The President said Uganda’s development should be anchored in confidence in global economic opportunities, pointing to the progress made by countries such as China and India in reducing poverty.
He said Roofings also demonstrates the value of international cooperation, with the company sourcing technology and products from countries including Italy and Japan, while Chinese firms have participated in constructing the industrial plant.
“This is how you link all of them—the Italians, Japanese and Chinese. Cooperation is the way to go,” he said.
aTrade, Industry and Cooperatives Minister Sanjay Tanna congratulated Roofings Group on its growth, describing the Namanve investment as a vote of confidence in Uganda’s industrial and investment environment.
Tanna said the peace and stability established under the NRM Government had helped create conditions that enabled investors to establish and expand factories in Uganda.
He also credited the government’s reduction of electricity costs for manufacturers, saying competitive industrial power tariffs had helped improve the operating environment for factories.
Dr Sikander Lalani thanked President Museveni for attending the inauguration and said the company’s growth had been closely linked to Uganda’s peace and security.
He also commended the Uganda Investment Authority and other government agencies for supporting Roofings’ expansion and investment activities.
Lalani stressed the need for reliable electricity and improved railway infrastructure to support industrial production and the transportation of raw materials and finished products.
He said the reduction in electricity tariffs had provided manufacturers with “a breathing space” and improved the business environment.
Lalani pledged that Roofings would continue working with the government to strengthen Uganda’s steel industry and supply quality iron sheets to the local market.
Roofings Group Director Oliver Lalani said the company was benefiting from Uganda’s growing economy and expanding market.
He said the East African region, with its growing population and expanding economy, offered significant opportunities for the steel industry, although more work was needed to improve the quality of steel products available on the market.
Oliver Lalani said the growth of the region’s middle class would increase demand for quality construction materials and reaffirmed Roofings Group’s commitment to supporting the development of Uganda’s steel sector.
He also praised President Museveni for promoting East African integration, saying regional integration would help manufacturers access larger markets and strengthen industrial production.
The newly inaugurated rolling mill forms part of a wider modern industrial complex that includes a cold rolling mill, edge-trimming line, galvanising line and colour-coating line.
The cold rolling mill is a four-high mill designed to further process steel and enable Roofings to manufacture higher-value products locally.
The investment is expected to increase local value addition, reduce reliance on imported intermediate products and expand Uganda’s manufacturing capacity.
The inauguration was attended by government ministers and officials, private-sector representatives and other invited guests.
The investment adds to Uganda’s expanding industrial base and the government’s efforts to promote manufacturing, value addition, employment and the development of a more self-sustaining economy.
