Museveni unveils Shs 466bn steel ambition

What the report says

President Yoweri Museveni last week commissioned the Danieli Cold Rolling Mill Complex, a Shs 466 billion facility operated by Roofings Group, in what the company and government presented as a step toward expanding Uganda’s steel industry. The plant is designed to increase local processing, reduce dependence on imported finished steel products and support sales in regional markets, according to The Observer.

The complex has an annual capacity of 150,000 metric tonnes and lifts Roofings’ cold-rolled steel output to 300,000 tonnes. The article said the site includes a 4-Hi Cold Rolling Mill, an edge trimming line, a hot-dip galvanizing line and a colour-coating line. These stages are intended to improve steel thickness, finish, corrosion resistance and final appearance before products enter the market. Roofings chief executive Sheikh Arif said the equipment adds value locally and can lower costs by doing more processing in Uganda.

Museveni used the launch to argue that more domestic fabrication would create jobs and keep more value within the country. He also pointed to Roofings’ growth from a small operation in Lubowa to a large company with exports in East and Central Africa. Dr Sikander Lalani, the company’s chairman and managing director, said Roofings now produces 360,000 tonnes of steel products a year and is pursuing further integration into iron and steel making.

The broader context is Uganda’s push toward vertical integration in steel, supported by the country’s iron ore reserves and relatively low per-capita steel consumption compared with global averages.