Ouganda : des projets d'électricité vont stimuler la croissance du Nil occidental – Museveni

Source : New Vision

The President said Arua's proximity to DR Congo and South Sudan meant that goods manufactured in the West Nile city would not be short of market.

West Nile should brace for accelerated development as the government and private players undertake new electricity projects in the region, President Yoweri Museveni has said.

The President made the remarks on Sunday in Arua City as he launched three major projects in Arua district; a 132kV electricity transmission line, an 8MW thermal power plant and a value-processing factory for cereals.

The 132kV Kole-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua transmission project will evacuate electricity from Karuma, Agago and Nyagak dams to West Nile and parts of Northern Uganda and link these areas to the national grid.

The 8MW thermal power plant is a project of Electro-Maxx, run by businessman Patrick Bitature while the value-addition factory is part of the Arua market reconstruction project under the ministry of local government.

The value-addition factory will be able to process 250,000 kg of cereals daily and is estimated to earn the district sh15b annually once fully operational. It will be fed by over 30,000 farmers who previously grew tobacco.

"I can assure people of West Nile that with access to the national grid power, big industrial parks are coming here," said Museveni.

The President added that Arua's proximity to DR Congo and South Sudan meant that goods manufactured in the West Nile city would not be short of market.

"With the current developed infrastructure, the roads, electricity and more areas being connected to the power grid, there is no doubt about Uganda's accelerated economic growth," he said.

Museveni appealed to NRM local leaders and cadres to focus on mobilization for national economic development, warning against extravagance and corruption.

"There is need for enhancement of socio-economic transformation by resolving to avoid wastage while solving people’s problems," said the President

He also cautioned the people of West Nile region against land fragmentation, saying since most local people are on small landholdings, they should adopt modern farming practices as guided by government officials.

Speaking at the same function, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah said Uganda had wasted its first 24 years after Independence but the NRM government had accelerated the recovery process.