Uganda’s first pig iron processing plant has started operations in Ntungamo District, marking a major step in the country’s push to add value to its mineral resources.
Terra Industrial Development Company operates the Shs49 billion facility in Rwenanura Town Council.
The factory produces pig iron with a purity level of 93 per cent. Pig iron is a crude form of iron made by smelting iron ore. It contains between 3.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent carbon.
Manufacturers use pig iron to produce steel, cast iron and ductile iron.
Construction of the plant started in July 2025. The company completed the project within a year.
The factory supports Uganda’s policy of processing minerals locally instead of exporting them in raw form. The government has banned the export of unprocessed minerals as part of its industrialisation programme.
President Museveni has met the company’s leadership over the project and pledged government support. He said the investment would strengthen value addition and industrial growth in the mining sector.
State Minister for Privatisation and Investment Aminah Mukalazi visited the plant on July 18, 2026, to assess its progress.
Terra Industrial Development Company managing director Kong Dong Sheng and other company officials received the minister. They took her around the facility and briefed her on its operations.
Ms Mukalazi praised the company for investing in mineral processing. She said such projects would support local content, technology transfer and sustainable industrial development.
The government expects the factory to create jobs, expand domestic manufacturing and increase local participation in the industrial supply chain.
The plant could also reduce Uganda’s reliance on imported industrial materials and allow the country to earn more from its mineral deposits.
The government says private investment remains central to its efforts to build a competitive manufacturing sector and generate employment.
