Soroti City officials raise concern over idle Industrial Park land

What the report says

Soroti City officials have raised concerns about the long-idle Soroti Industrial and Business Park, saying much of the land remains undeveloped more than a decade after it was allocated to investors. According to The Independent Uganda, the park was established in 2012 after the Uganda Investment Authority secured 219 acres in Soroti City, but only three of 25 allocated plots are reported to have operational developments.

City leaders said the lack of progress has reduced the park’s expected benefits for local economic growth and employment. Soroti City Mayor Francis Esudu said the city has already taken the issue to the Ministry of Investment, but no action has followed. He also said city authorities were not involved in the original allocation process, which has made it harder to determine who controls each plot and what plans investors have for the land.

Paul Batanda, the city town clerk, said officials are now engaging park managers and the investors tied to the plots to understand why development has stalled. He also noted concern that some activity at the site does not appear to be industrial in nature. The city says it wants the land put to productive use, either by bringing in new investors or by pressing existing plot holders to develop their sites.

The issue comes as Uganda continues to promote industrial parks as tools for investment and job creation. In that broader context, Soroti officials say the park’s limited use has left a major area idle despite expectations that it would create thousands of jobs for young people in the region.