In a powerful display of regional economic solidarity, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Kenyan President William Ruto jointly presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of the Devki Mega Steel Plant in Tororo, Eastern Uganda. The Shs1.8 trillion (approximately $500 million) investment by the Kenyan-owned Devki Group was hailed as a pivotal step towards East Africa’s industrial self-sufficiency, closely followed by President Ruto’s strong assurances regarding Uganda’s continued access to the Indian Ocean.
Tororo, The Forge of Regional Industrialization
The launch of the vertically integrated steel complex was far more than a simple factory opening; it was being framed by both leaders as a significant move in Africa’s “economic liberation.”
- Massive Scale: Once completed (projected for the end of 2027), the plant was expected to produce one million tonnes of steel annually, positioning it as one of the largest steel facilities in East and Central Africa, second only to South Africa.
- Import Substitution and Value Addition: President Museveni highlighted that the project will save Uganda a staggering $500 million annually currently spent on importing steel intermediate products. Both leaders stressed the factory’s role in ending the centuries-long cycle of exporting raw African minerals without value addition.
- Job Creation: The plant was a significant employer, with plans to employ 15,000 Ugandans at the Tororo and Mbarara facilities at commencement. Devki Chairman Dr. Narendra Raval had pledged that over 90% of the factory’s jobs would go to residents of Tororo and surrounding communities.
- Regional Integration: President Ruto described the investment as a “bold new chapter in Africa’s industrialisation ambitions” and commended President Museveni for championing regional economic integration. The steel produced would not only meet Uganda’s domestic demand but should also be a major export to Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and other neighboring countries, significantly cutting the region’s overall import bill.
To bolster the project, leaders agreed to key infrastructure moves, including the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to the Uganda-Kenya border at Malaba starting in January 2026, which would drastically lower transport costs for the massive facility.
Maritime Assurances and Geopolitical Harmony
The shared industrial triumph in Tororo served as a timely diplomatic platform for President Ruto to address recent regional anxieties over access to the Indian Ocean.
In the weeks leading up to the launch, President Museveni had made public remarks that appeared to question existing arrangements and hinted at the potential for future conflicts over sea access, an issue of vital national security for landlocked Uganda.
Standing alongside Museveni, President Ruto used the occasion to decisively reaffirm Kenya’s commitment, assuring Uganda of unfettered and permanent access to the Indian Ocean. He framed Kenya and Uganda as “brothers” and emphasized that the facility itself was proof of the shared prosperity derived from their cooperative relationship, a clear diplomatic response intended to diffuse any lingering tension caused by the earlier comments.
The message was clear: cooperation, not competition, was the foundation of East Africa’s future, with the massive Devki steel plant serving as a tangible symbol of a shared commitment to regional economic destiny.
