Soroti Industrial Park ; A Case for Presidential Intervention and Affirmative Action.

By Peterson Hiirya.

More than a decade after their establishment, the contrast between Mbale Industrial Park and Soroti Industrial Park tells a deeper story about uneven industrialization in Eastern Uganda—and why decisive, high-level intervention is now unavoidable.

The Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park has transformed into a vibrant manufacturing hub, hosting over 70 factories and employing over 11,000 thousand people.

Mbale Industrial Park thrives on strong infrastructure, strategic location, and a ready market drawn from Bugisu, Bukedi, Busoga, Sebei, and even parts of Kenya and Karamoja Mbale etc  has effectively become the industrial and commercial heartbeat of the region.

Soroti Industrial Park, however, presents a starkly different picture. Despite its 219 acres, much of the land remains idle. What should have been the anchor of economic transformation in Teso is instead struggling to attract and retain serious investors.

This divergence is not accidental—it reflects structural gaps that only deliberate state intervention can fix. And at this stage, that intervention must come directly from President Yoweri Museveni himself.

The case for presidential involvement is both practical and urgent.

First, land allocation within Soroti Industrial Park has been distorted by speculation. Portions of the park are reportedly held by powerful individuals who are not developing them but instead seeking to profit by reselling to genuine investors.

This undermines the very purpose of the industrial park and locks out serious manufacturers. Only firm executive action can audit allocations, repossess idle plots, and ensure land is given to credible investors ready to build.

Second, Soroti lacks the investor confidence that Mbale now enjoys. An investor choosing between the two will almost always pick Mbale—where infrastructure is functional, industrial clusters are established, and markets are stronger. Without intervention, this imbalance will only widen, leaving Soroti permanently behind.

This is where affirmative action becomes essential.

President Museveni should consider a targeted industrial policy for Soroti Industrial Park—one that includes tax incentives, subsidised utilities, and priority access to financing for investors willing to set up there. Such deliberate incentives would offset Soroti’s current disadvantages and make it competitive again.

But incentives alone are not enough. The President must take a personal interest in the park’s revival—just as has been done for other strategic national projects. Direct oversight would accelerate decision-making, eliminate bureaucratic delays, and send a strong signal to investors that Soroti is open for business.

Equally important is aligning the industrial park with existing government programmes. Under the cattle restocking and rehabilitation programme in Teso, there is a clear opportunity to revive agro-industrial activity.

Reopening the Soroti Meat Packers factory would not only prepare the region for the anticipated livestock boom but also anchor the industrial park with a high-impact enterprise.

This approach would create a complete economic loop: restocking boosts livestock production, processing factories create value addition, and the industrial park becomes a hub for related industries such as leather, dairy, and animal feeds.

Rehabilitation, in this context, must go beyond livestock—it must extend to the regional economy itself. An operational industrial park would generate jobs, stimulate agro-industrial growth, and raise household incomes across Teso.

The broader lesson from Mbale is clear: industrialization does not happen by chance. It requires the alignment of infrastructure, policy, markets, and leadership. Mbale benefited from this convergence. Soroti has not.

Without decisive action, Soroti Industrial Park risks remaining a missed opportunity—an idle expanse in a region that urgently needs economic transformation.

President Museveni has, in the past, demonstrated the ability to drive strategic national projects to success through personal involvement. Soroti now requires that same level of attention.

Reviving the park is not just about infrastructure or investment—it is about restoring balance in regional development and ensuring that Teso is not left behind in Uganda’s industrialization journey.

The time for passive policy is over. What Soroti needs now is direct presidential intervention, affirmative action, and a clear commitment to turn potential into reality.

For God and My country.