The Devki Tororo steel plant by Devki group has broken ground in Uganda with the plant valued at $500 million. Various dignitaries such as President Yoweri Museveni, William Ruto and Paul Kagame were in attendance for the ceremony. The project is billed by its backers as a bid to transform Uganda from an importer of construction material to regional producer and exporter. Furthermore, it is expected to produce one million tonnes of steel annually. It will also use blast-furnace technology and create around 15,000 direct jobs in various sectors.
These include mining, transport as well as manufacturing. The company noted that construction will conclude in two years. Moreover, the first steel as a result of the project is expected to roll out by the end of 2027. Once complete, the capacity of the plant would place it as one of the largest in East and Central Africa. For Uganda it promises to substitute imports that have long drained foreign currency. The project highlights Africa’s commitment in the steel sector as it compliments Africa’s largest steel plant in Zimbabwe.
Project Factsheet
- Developer: Devki Group – Kenya
- Location: Tororo, Uganda
- Value: $500 million
- Status: Groundbreaking completed
- Completion: In 2 years
- First Output: End of 2027
Key Details
- Capacity: 1 million tonnes of steel per year
- Technology: Blast-furnace
- Jobs: About 15,000 direct jobs
- Scale: One of the largest steel plants in East & Central Africa
Significance
- Reduces Uganda’s dependence on imported steel.
- Positions Uganda as a regional steel producer and exporter
- Backed by accessible iron ore deposits and stable tax terms
- Attended by Presidents Museveni, Ruto, Kagame
Broader Impact
- Supports mining, transport, and manufacturing value chains
- Reflects Devki’s wider community-development model in East Africa.
Significance of the Devki Tororo Steel Plant in Uganda
The significance of the Devki Tororo steel plant in Uganda stretches far more beyond economic benefits. The plant’s chairman, Narendra Raval, noted the decision to locate in Uganda was driven by accessible iron-ore deposits and predictable tax terms. Furthermore, national officials are in support of the project as they assert it will lift export potential while supplying local industry. Devki frames these investments as more than business expansion. The company points to social programmes, school feeding schemes and local community projects as a factor.
It is part of a model in which rural-sited factories become engines of local development. Devki’s publicly available statements and media coverage cite long-running feeding programmes that reach thousands of children in Kenya. Furthermore, community investments around CIMERWA in Rwanda that include a school, a clinic and vocational facilities have also proven beneficial. The presence of three heads of state at the Tororo ceremony signaled political acceptance at the highest level. However, translating political theatre into durable cross-border industrial integration will demand clear regulatory alignment and logistics investment
