President Yoweri Museveni has commission Uganda’s first computer assembling and manufacturing factory at Namanve Industrial Park in Wakiso district
This follows an agreement between the government of Uganda SIMI technologies to promote the manufacturing of ICT electronics in Uganda.
The collaboration seeks to promote and achieve; the manufacture of electronics, ICT equipment including computers and related products in Uganda; building of local capacity in assembling and equipping locals in electronic technology; training of individuals who will work on the manufacturing plant; and overall skills transfer.
“I am very happy with the Chinese solidarity with Uganda and Africa. Uganda is moving very well, the economy has grown to $35 billion using the normal method of calculating GDP,” Mr Museveni said at the launch.
The President added: “We don't have any other problem. We now have electricity, we are going to solve the problem of transport costs. We have also started solving the problem of ICT,” Mr Museveni.
SIMI Mobile, which is owned by ENGO Holdings Uganda Ltd, at full capacity will produce 2,000 feature phones, 1,500 smartphones, 800 laptops, 2,000 chargers, 4,000 USB cables and 4,000 ear-phone sets.
President Museveni said that the Chinese have been Africa’s development partners on the path for durable infrastructure development which are critical in the transformation of the economy.
He said going to the industrial sector is a major bonus for the Chinese.
Frank Tumwebaze, the Information, Communication and Technology Minister says that the domestic operation of the plant will revolutionize mobile phone connectivity in rural areas for their affordability and efficiency on power consumption and network reception and clarity.
The other he says will provide a unique platform for domestic software developers to showcase their innovations to the market in order to penetrate the international markets through the exportation of some of the technologies.
Evelyn Anite, the State Minister for Finance in charge of Privatization says Uganda has been spending 140 Billion on the importation of phones from major electronic companies, Samsun, Itel, Huawei and Nokia among others. She says the factory will, in the long run, reduce the import bill by producing cheap phones for the country.
James Ssaka, the Executive Director of the National Information Technology Authority –NITA says that Uganda’s ICT Sector has dramatically grown over the last ten years with its annual budget swelling from 104 Billion in 2018 to 146 Billion in 2019. According to NITA, there are 22 Million mobile phone subscribers in Uganda. It says the sector is growing at 27 percent per annum.
