Nytil Marks 72 Years of Textile Manufacturing as Uganda Celebrates Independence

What the report says

Nytil, the Njeru Municipality textile company near Jinja, is marking 72 years since its founding while Uganda celebrates 64 years of independence, according to Nile Post. The business, officially known as Nyanza Textile Industries Limited, was established in 1954 under the British colonial administration as a state-backed factory and later became a significant employer and buyer of locally grown cotton.

The report says Nytil grew into one of East Africa’s notable textile producers, combining cotton processing, spinning, weaving and garment production. It also says the factory supported local jobs and helped develop Uganda’s manufacturing base. After independence, however, the company was affected by political instability, weak investment, ageing equipment and broader economic decline during the 1970s and later years.

A major shift came in 1996, when the government sold the company to Southern Range Nyanza Limited. The new owners began replacing old machinery and modernising production, while expanding into knitted fabrics, uniforms and institutional clothing. Nytil’s management says the company now supplies items such as uniforms to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and Uganda Prisons, as well as school wear.

The story places Nytil within Uganda’s wider push for industrialisation and value addition, including the Buy Uganda, Build Uganda policy. It also notes that the company still faces competition from cheaper imported textiles, even as it remains an important employer, with more than 2,500 workers reported by the company.