By Max Patrick Ocaido
President Yoweri Museveni will this Friday commission Uganda’s first computer assembling and manufacturing factory at Namanve Industrial Park in Wakiso district.
This comes about five months after state minister for Investments Evelyn Anite and ICT minister Frank Tumwebaze broke ground for the construction of the ICT assembling and manufacturing factory.
The factory will assemble and manufacture computers, mobile phones, and other related ICT equipment after National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) with the support of Uganda Investment Authority entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Engo Holdings Group to construct the factory and SIMI technologies to promote Local Electronics Manufacturing 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.
During the groundbreaking ceremony in July, NITA-U ED James Saaka promised to provide fast and secure internet using ICT backbone for the factory upon its completion.
“As NITA-U we have developed numerous standards and guidelines which government and private entities must comply with when developing their IT systems. We have now moved to develop standards to guide the manufacture of electronics, ICT equipment including computers and related products. It is great progress that we are moving Uganda into this ICT equipment manufacturing space but we must move in tandem with the rest of the world in terms of standards and quality in order to be competitive,” Saaka said.
“The Plant will assemble and manufacture computers and other related equipment in Uganda. It will boost capacity in the country and we thank State minister for Investment and Uganda Investment Authority for convincing Engo holdings to invest in Uganda,” he added.
