President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged that his government will take all necessary measures to ensure the full operation of the Atiak Sugar Factory in Amuru District.

Speaking at his first presidential campaign rally in the Acholi Sub-region, held at Pabbo Primary School playgrounds in Pabbo Town Council, Amuru District, the President responded to concerns raised about the underperformance of the factory.

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) District Chairperson for Amuru, Wilfred Odiya Baguma, criticized the factory’s management, citing inefficiencies despite the substantial government investment. Odiya claimed that the facility, which has received billions of shillings in public funds, was underperforming and called for a thorough review of its operations.

In response, President Museveni reaffirmed his government’s determination to get the factory running again, promising that any operational or management issues would be resolved. “The Atiak Sugar Industry will be done. We shall do whatever it takes to revive that industry and make it operational,” the President stated, addressing supporters who had turned up despite heavy rain.

Located in Atiak Sub-county, the factory was launched nearly 14 years ago as a joint venture between Horyal Investment Holding Company Limited and the Government of Uganda through the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC). To date, the government has invested approximately 553.7 billion shillings in the project, which last produced sugar between 2019 and 2023.

The factory had temporarily shut down due to a shortage of sugarcane but later resumed operations after adopting mechanized farming to combat the effects of climate change, frequent fires, and reliance on manual labour.

Industrialization and Livelihood Restoration as Key Priorities

During the same rally, Museveni emphasized the role of industrialization in transforming the northern region. He pointed out that with the availability of electricity from the Karuma Hydropower Dam, his government intends to expand the number of industrial parks in northern Uganda. “Now that we have enough electricity from Karuma, we are going to expand industrial parks across the region,” Museveni said.

He also reiterated the government’s commitment to restocking households in the Lango, Acholi, and Teso sub-regions. This initiative aims to help communities rebuild livelihoods that were lost during two decades of insurgency. Each household, according to the President, will be given five head of cattle,  two bulls and two cows.

The President acknowledged the support of local leaders for this initiative, noting that the cattle restocking program would go hand in hand with compensation efforts for communities most affected by the war.

Additionally, Museveni announced that the government would offer 100 annual scholarships for science students from the Acholi Sub-region.

Emphasis on Peace, Infrastructure, and Economic Uplift

Throughout his address, Museveni underscored the importance of peace, infrastructure development, and poverty alleviation, principles he described as the foundation of the NRM government since coming to power in 1986.

He reminded the crowd that it was under the NRM leadership that peace returned to the region, along with significant investments in roads, schools, and healthcare facilities. He also highlighted the Parish Development Model (PDM) as a key initiative to uplift rural communities.

Museveni added that, beyond the existing 100 million shillings allocated to each parish under the PDM, his government would inject an additional 75 million shillings specifically for the benefit of lower-level local government officials, ensuring they don’t compete with ordinary citizens for PDM funds.

Community Concerns and Government Response

Local leaders in Amuru presented a memorandum detailing several pressing concerns, including the poor state of the road connecting Awee to Rhino Camp, frequent elephant incursions in Lakang Sub-county, and the unresolved Apaa land conflict.

On the issue of the Apaa land dispute, Kilak County MP Anthony Akol proposed the creation of Apaa as an independent district, suggesting it would provide a permanent resolution.

President Museveni responded by saying the idea will be “studied”.