Uganda is positioning its emerging oil and gas industry as a key catalyst for industrial transformation, with plans to establish a petrochemical industrial park that will convert refined petroleum by-products into high-value products such as pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, and plastics.
Speaking on the government’s economic agenda, the Acting Director of Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Moses Kaggwa, said the initiative is a central pillar of Uganda’s ambitious Tenfold Growth Strategy, which seeks to accelerate industrialisation, boost tourism, develop the mining sector, advance science and technology, and strengthen the creative industry as major engines of employment and economic growth.
“We are going to have a petrochemical industrial park, which will use the by-products of petroleum to produce pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, plastics, and many other products. That is part of our plan in the Tenfold Growth Strategy,” Kaggwa said.
He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending the export of raw minerals, emphasising that Uganda will prioritise domestic value addition by processing its mineral resources locally. According to Kaggwa, the country plans to expand its steel industry from iron ore extraction to the manufacture of finished products, including steel bars and corrugated iron sheets, which will also support the growth of Uganda’s automotive sector.
“We are not exporting unprocessed minerals. All of them are being processed, and we are putting up the industries that are coming in to exploit the minerals,” he noted.
Agriculture will remain another cornerstone of the industrialisation drive through the government’s Parish Development Model, which is designed to enable smallholder farmers to supply raw materials to local industries. At the same time, increased investment in tourism infrastructure is expected to create more employment opportunities and contribute to economic expansion.
Kaggwa said the reforms are intended to sustain Uganda’s strong economic momentum, with the economy projected to grow by 6.4 percent this year and 10.2 percent next year, supported by the commencement of commercial oil production alongside continued growth in agriculture, services, and industry.
To ensure effective implementation, the government has directed all accounting officers to prioritise the Tenfold Growth Strategy. Their performance will be assessed through quarterly scorecards, with sanctions awaiting officials who fail to meet implementation targets.
“We are going to have quarterly scorecards for all accounting officers to show how they have implemented the Tenfold Growth Strategy. Anybody who has been found ineffective is going to face sanctions,” Kaggwa said.
