Kamuli, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni have officially commissioned the DEI Group Advanced Agro-Processing Park and a new cassava starch manufacturing plant in Busambo, Namasagali, marking a major milestone for Uganda’s agro-industrialisation agenda.
The US$50 million starch plant, developed by Dr. Matthias Magoola of Dei BioPharma Ltd, is the first phase of a larger industrial complex. It will produce starch, glucose, maltose, and fructose, ingredients crucial for pharmaceutical manufacturing, which Uganda previously imported.
The plant is expected to create over 40,000 jobs, provide a steady market for cassava farmers, reduce import bills, and enhance Uganda’s pharmaceutical self-reliance.
President Museveni congratulated Dr. Magoola for his innovation and resilience, noting his early work on malaria remedies using traditional knowledge. He also thanked international partners, including supporters from the United States, for their contribution to the project.
First Ugandan Chilli Export to China
During the ceremony, Museveni flagged off Uganda’s first container of chilli for export to China, describing it as a step toward diversifying the country’s export markets.
“I congratulate the People’s Republic of China for its long-standing cooperation with Africa since 1949. Today, we mark a new milestone in Uganda’s march toward prosperity,” he said.
Call for Agricultural Prudence
The President cautioned small landholders against rushing into cassava farming without assessing profitability, citing past mistakes in sugarcane cultivation. He emphasized that careful planning and adoption of the 4-acre model, which encourages diversified farming, remain key to household wealth creation.
NRM Election Campaign in Busoga
At a campaign rally in Bupadhengo Primary School, Museveni urged Busoga residents to support the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the 2026 general elections. He highlighted seven major achievements of the NRM since 1986, including peace, development, household wealth creation, and job creation.
The President cited examples such as the Namasagali and Sino-Mbale Industrial Parks, which employ thousands, and individual success stories like Basangwa Johnson, a poultry farmer whose enterprise now employs 300 people.
Museveni also announced new infrastructure projects to improve roads, electricity, and public services across Busoga, emphasizing their role in boosting agriculture, trade, and industry.
First Lady Encourages Voter Mobilization
First Lady Janet Museveni thanked residents for their turnout and encouraged them to mobilize others to vote for the NRM, highlighting education and good governance as key priorities.
Senior party leaders, including NRM First National Vice Chairman Alhajji Moses Kigongo, Deputy Prime Minister and Kamuli Woman MP Rebecca Kadaga, and Kamuli NRM Chairperson Matthew Bazanya, also addressed the rally, stressing discipline and decisive support for the party.
