In a significant step for East African industrialization, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Kenyan President William Ruto have presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for a new $500 million steel plant in Tororo, eastern Uganda.
The massive project, known as Devki Mega Steel, is being developed by Kenyan industrialist Narendra Raval’s Devki Group and is set to become one of the largest and most ambitious industrial ventures in the region.
Construction on the vertically integrated facility began immediately after the November 23rd ceremony, with the first batch of steel expected to be produced by the end of 2027.
The plant is poised to have a transformative economic impact, aiming to create an initial 15,000 jobs in Tororo and Mbarara, with that number expected to grow to 20,000 by 2027 as related mining and transport services expand.
Raval has committed to hiring 90% of the factory’s workforce from the local Tororo community.
This investment is part of a larger industrial push, as Raval also plans another major iron ore project in Uganda’s Kabale District, which is projected to create an additional 16,000 jobs.
Once fully operational, the Tororo plant will produce up to one million tonnes of steel annually, leveraging Uganda’s confirmed 500 million tonnes of iron ore deposits.
Both presidents framed the project as a pivotal moment for African economic self-reliance.
President Museveni described it as a step toward “liberating Africa” by ending the long-standing practice of exporting raw minerals and jobs, a policy he has backed by banning the export of unprocessed minerals.
The facility is expected to drastically reduce Uganda’s reliance on steel imports, which currently costs the country an estimated $5 billion annually, and transform it into a net exporter.
President Ruto highlighted the plant’s role in building stronger regional supply chains to meet Africa’s growing steel demand, which is projected to rise from 39.5 million tonnes in 2024 to 52 million by 2034.
The project is also supported by plans to expand regional infrastructure, including extending the Standard Gauge Railway from Kenya to Uganda to lower costs for heavy industry.
