President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni yesterday commissioned the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja.
The plant is the largest vehicle facility in Africa with a comprehensive motor vehicle production process.
Kiira Vehicle manufacturing plant construction started in 2019 up to 2024 when all vehicle production systems were fully installed and manufacturing started in March 2025 by Kiira Motors Corporation with an initial investment of USD 120 million.
During the commissioning, President Museveni revealed how immense scientific innovations like Vehicle Manufacturing Plant was contributing to the national economic growth of Uganda, saying it employs hundreds of Ugandan engineers and it’s posed to save the country USD 800 million from car imports and. He also highlighted its positive impact on the country’s balance of trade deficit on vehicles.
“These young people I found in the factory have jobs, where would they be working if we didn’t have kiira?” he inquired.
President Museveni further revealed how the government intends to expedite iron ore exploration in districts with iron ore deposits to avail high quality steel needed by the Kiira Vehicle Manufacturing Plant and other factories to reduce the USD 900 million spent annually on importation of steel.
“We have got some steel factories using scrap, but scrap isn’t good enough for this type of work, therefore it’s these new factories that we are building now that are purifying our iron ore into high quality steel which is needed here. Uganda is fortunate to have some of the biggest iron ore in the world in Kabale and Butogota,” he said.
“For the first time the transport sector is beginning to be integrated in the form of the Kiira vehicle plant. This is what is beginning to happen. If we do it successfully, we shall save USD800 million from steel alone.”
Additionally, President Museveni rallied Uganda scientists and leaders to focus on production for more sectors of the economy to address the huge hemorrhage of funds into importation.
He explained that different sectors of the economy require complementary local production lines of their inputs that he described as vertical and horizontal economic integration needed for Uganda and Africa at large to thrive.
He reminded Africans to regain their self-confidence, focus on mechanisation, citing the example of the transformation of the dairy industry, a similar approach needed to produce lithium batteries and other products required for full economic integration.
On the other hand, President Museveni confirmed Uganda’s invention of diabetes, cancer and malaria cure, among other massive innovations and tasked scientists to venture into traditional solutions and modify them.
He also warned Africans of stagnation due to their failure to comprehend and embrace the political economy that governs the evolution of society that includes science and innovation.
The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Monica Musenero affirmed the readiness of Uganda’s knowledge economy to feed into the qualitative leap by venturing in more value chains.
Minister Musenero explained that Uganda’s missed 3 phases of the industrial revolution are promptly being covered up through the exponential knowledge economy innovations like Kiira Vehicle Manufacturing Plant and others.
Makerere University Council Chairperson, Ms. Ronah Magara emphasized the need to enhance collaboration between the academia and policy makers to aid the actualisation of research innovations.
She noted that innovations like the Kiira Electric Vehicles began at Makerere University as a research prototype, but the visionary leadership of President Museveni nurtured the idea to the level of seeing the project’s success as the maiden local vehicle manufacturing plant in Uganda
Ms. Magara requested the President to consider increasing the University research and innovations funds to cover more projects.
The National Enterprise Corporation board chairperson Gen. (Rtd) Joram Mugume commended the government for entrusting the army’s engineering department to construct the vehicle manufacturing plant which is a proper local content sourcing strategy.
Mr. Paul Isaac Musasizi, the Kiira Motors Corporation Chief Executive Officer revealed how the government’s direct investment into the automobile industry will expedite the attainment of the 10-fold growth strategy.
Mr. Musasizi said Kiira Motors Corporation is now focusing on rolling out a robust business model as they produce quality vehicles that meet the required standards.
He explained how the company is aiming to establish a robust industrial value chain for all vehicle inputs.
Kiira Motors Cooperation has so far produced 37 electric vehicles and 27 Diesel coaches. It has a production prospect of 2,500 vehicles in the medium term, 5,000 in the long term and 10,000 annual productions by 2030.
