The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has visited and pledged continued support to the Kiira Motors Plant, the local makers of electric motor vehicles.
Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) is located in the Jinja Industrial and Business Park in Kagogwa village, Kakira Town Council, in Jinja district.
“I want to thank the President for his foresight to establish National Enterprises Corporation (NEC) and Kiira Motors. I want assure Kiira Motors and [the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation] Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye that you have my support,” she said during the visit.
She encouraged the people present to invest in the growing of bamboo out of which the floor of the Kayoola EVS, one of the products of KMC, is made.
During the visit, the Speaker took a ride on one of the buses from the Source of the Nile to Kagogwa.
KMC working with China High-Tech Corporation has two Kayoola EVS buses, which currently providing selected shuttle services.
Speaker Kadaga alongside Minister Elioda touring the plant.
The Director General of the Busoga Consortium for Development, Anthony Mula, thanked the Speaker for pushing for the project to grow and appealed to the firm to employ more locals.
He also appealed to government to locate more industries in Busoga, which he said has plenty of unutilized land.
The Permanent Secretary, MSTI, David Obong, commended NEC’s dedication to Kiira Motor’s project and said he looks forward to the commissioning of the site.
He appealed to government to provide more funds so the project, which has now stalled.
The Executive Chairman of the Project, Prof Sandy Stevens Tickodri, appealed to government to provide Shs 49.5 billion and 2sq miles of land required for testing of their products.
KMC is expected to create over 14,000 jobs
A team of officials Parliament and ministry of Technology
Great strides have been made on the on-going construction works for Kiira EV by National Enterprise Corporation NEC Construction works and engineering Ltd as one of the subsidiaries.
The aerial view of the constructed part of the plant
In April 2018 Cabinet Approved the Roadmap for Commercialization of the Kiira Electric Vehicle Project and a Seed Fund of Shs 143.7 Billion to Set Up and Kick Start Operations of the Kiira Vehicle Plant over a Period of Four (4) Years, 2018/19-2021/22.
The already set up the plant
This was after the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development approved a comprehensive feasibility study for setting up and operating the Kiira Vehicle Plant.
Shs 24 Billion was allocated for Kiira Motors Corporation activities in the Financial Year (FY) 2018/19. By February 2019, Shs 19 Billion had been released to Kiira Motors Corporation. Shs 15 Billion was transferred to the Contractor to start construction of the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja.
The construction of the Kiira Vehicle Plant is scheduled to take thirty (30) months, January 2019 – June 2021, at a cost of Shs 63 Billion; this is subject to release of funds in line with the approved roadmap.
Technocrats attending the function
And therefore, the the Scope of work covers, site clearance, Clearance of 100 acres of land at Plot No. 701, Block 2 Kagogwa Village, Mawaito Parish, Kakira Town Council, Construction of the Site Fence and Gates, excavation of a 1.4 km storm water channel along the Western Boundary to enhance site drainage.
The on-going construction of a motor vehicle assembly plant by Uganda’s automotive value chain pioneer, Kiira Motors Corporation, has set a new record for local content even as it raises the bar for the selected firms to deliver to time and specification.
In a departure from typical civil contracting in Uganda, Kiira Motors has selected Ugandan firms to execute 100pc of the non-tooling aspects of the project. National Enterprise Corporation NEC, the business arm of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces was selected as the prime contractor for the main building works.
