Museveni Launches Shs 349 Billion Cassava Mega-Plant in Kamuli to Transform Busoga Farming Economy

Kamuli, Uganda

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Friday 21th November 2025 opened a sprawling cassava processing facility in Kamuli District — a Shs 349 billion investment the government and project backers say will transform the Busoga sub-region’s agriculture and manufacturing landscape.

The factory, operated by Dei BioPharma Ltd, is billed by company executives as a vertically integrated processing hub that will convert fresh cassava root into high-grade industrial starch and a range of derivatives including glucose and maltose. According to project materials released at the inauguration, the plant’s initial design capacity targets several hundred tonnes of cassava per day with plans to ramp to a permanent intake that will provide a stable, year-round market for smallholder producers across Busoga and neighbouring districts.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, President Museveni framed the plant as a strategic step in Uganda’s broader industrialization agenda — one that links agriculture production to higher value-added manufacturing and exports. “We must move from raw export to processing and value addition,” he said, urging farmers and local leaders to embrace collective marketing and improved agronomy to meet the plant’s expected demand.

Company representatives said the plant will provide direct employment in processing, maintenance and logistics, and create far larger indirect opportunities across transport, packaging and input supply chains. Local leaders estimate thousands of seasonal and full-time roles will be created, although independent auditing and detailed job-creation plans have not yet been published.

Farmers visiting the site expressed cautious optimism. “If there is a reliable buyer, we can plan planting cycles better and reduce losses,” said Agnes Nankinga, a cassava farmer from nearby Namasagali. Yet farmers and civil society groups also flagged potential risks: possible land-use changes, water and waste management challenges at scale, and whether smallholders will secure fair prices once large commercial buyers dominate procurement.

Analysts note the political timing of the inauguration. With national elections approaching, such high-visibility industrial projects serve both policy and electoral narratives: they showcase job creation and rural development while signaling the government’s commitment to domestic manufacturing. Observers stress, however, that the long-term success of the plant depends on transparent procurement, reliable offtake agreements with buyers, sustainable sourcing from smallholders, and strong environmental safeguards.

The government said technical teams are already working on complementary interventions — farmer aggregation schemes, improved seed and planting materials, and local transport upgrades — aimed at smoothing supply constraints. International trade partners were mentioned as potential export destinations for refined starch and derivatives, although concrete export contracts were not disclosed at the launch.

Why it matters:

Economic uplift: A large processing plant can stabilize demand for cassava — an important food and cash crop — potentially increasing farm incomes across Busoga.

Industrial policy shift: The project signals deliberate movement from commodity export toward domestic value addition and export of processed goods.

Risk and governance: Long-term benefits depend on transparent offtake arrangements, environmental management, and inclusive procurement that protects smallholder interests.

What to watch:

Publication of the plant’s operational schedule and monthly production targets.

Release of offtake agreements and buyer contracts (domestic vs. export markets).

Government or independent impact assessments on jobs, farmer pricing, water use and waste management.