Presidents William Ruto of Kenya and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda on Saturday presided over the groundbreaking of the Devki Mega Steel Factory in Tororo, a project valued at $500 million and expected to significantly transform East Africa’s industrial landscape. The factory, owned by the Devki Group, will produce 1 million tonnes of steel annually using Uganda’s iron ore and is projected to create between 10,000 and 15,000 jobs across mining, transport, manufacturing, and related sectors.
President Ruto described the event as a defining moment for the region, praising the joint leadership that made the project possible. “This occasion signifies more than the commissioning of a factory; it marks a new chapter in Africa’s industrialisation, driven by visionary leadership,” he said. He added that the Tororo steel project “demonstrates the region’s capacity and resolve to build globally competitive industries that advance Africa’s transformation.”
Devki Group Chairman and Founder Dr. Narendra Raval echoed this excitement, calling it a historic milestone for Uganda and East Africa. “Today is a historic day for Uganda and East Africa. With the continued guidance of H.E. Kaguta Museveni, we chose Tororo for this project. His experience provided answers we did not have at the start,” Raval said.
Raval revealed that President Museveni had assured him that once the factory begins steel production, Uganda will move to protect local manufacturers. “His Excellency assured me that once this company has started production of steel, he will not put duty but will ban importation. We want to use our steel for our own infrastructure. Importing anything is importing poverty—we are exporting our jobs,” he said. He insisted that duties and levies on imported steel are essential to safeguarding employment. “If any government does not support the local industry, it is denying jobs to its citizens.”
He pointed to global examples to justify this approach. “I respect President Trump who put 150% duty on steel imports just to secure jobs for his people. Their unemployment is 4%. We have 50%. We must put more duties and more levies. It is a bitter truth, but it is the only way to progress and reduce unemployment.”
Raval also commended Kenya and Uganda Railways for collaborating to extend the railway line to the factory to ease transportation and enable exports. “We hope for blessings from President Museveni to allow and support this railway connection so that from here we can export up to Mombasa Port and beyond,” he noted.
Despite the scale of the project, Raval admitted that the process has come with challenges, joking that even speaking about it had been difficult. He lightened the moment with a personal story. “Somebody asked me why my phone screen has my wife’s photo. I told them, whenever I face problems putting up a factory, I look at her picture and say: if I can handle this, I can handle anything,” he joked, drawing laughter from those present.
The ceremony underscored stronger ties between Uganda and Kenya and reinforced confidence among regional investors. With its promise of massive job creation, reduced steel imports, increased tax revenue, and a strengthened export base, the Tororo steel project is widely seen as a major step toward East Africa’s long-term industrial growth.
