• Mafia Game-Plan To Fail Mzee Leak, President Insists Investor Is A Blessing From God
• For Starters, Mr. Ntigaciga, Owns Similar Fertilizer Factories In Burundi And Tanzania With annual capacity of 350,000 Mega Tons and 1,000,000 Mega Tons
BY THE NEWS EDITORIAL TEAM
WHEREAS it is now about two and half years since President Yoweri Museveni wrote to Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja directing her to coordinate the responsible Ministers to support Itracom fertilizers Company Investor, Ntigaciga Adrien, establish a fertilizer plant in Kampala, Kampiringisa, Mpigi District, Uganda, it looks like Mafia benefiting from importing fake expensive fertilizers are determined to frustrate The Head of State and sabotage the investor!
Almost, all Presidential directives given to enable the investor establish a fertilizer plant in Uganda have been deliberately ignored by the enemies of development and have now hired mercinaries to blackmail the investor claiming he lacks the financial muscle to build a fertilizer factory in Uganda.
PHOTO: Fred Mwesigye a retired military officer who serves as High Commissioner of Uganda to Tanzania, says, Tanzania leads in Rice and Maize production because of Itracom mineral organic fertilizers. Those frustrating President Museveni are enemies of development in Uganda
For starters, President Museveni donated to investor Ntigaciga 130 Acres of land, of what remains of The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Economic Development’s 377 Acres at Kampiringisa, Mpigi district and directed Rt. Hon. Nabbanja to see to it that the directive is effected Without delay so that, the investor builds a multi million Organic Mineral fertkizer factory similar to those he built in Tanzania and Burundi.
However, the investor was given only 100 Acres, the whereabouts of the 30 Acres is not known.
PHOTO: Mr. Bigirimana at Kampiringisa, explaining why the factory has not started in Uganda
Itracom Fertilizer Company Country Director Bigirimana Jean has informed us that, “We haven’t established the factory because Government has not delivered on its part of the bargain. We don’t have full access to water, electricity and roads! Which factory can run without the three? Even our land as was donated by the President, we only recieved 100 Acres, the remaining 30 Acres are no where to be seen. I think there are some people who wants to fail The President and the project”
During his tour of the Greater Masaka Sub Region, coffee and Palm Oil farmers complained about high fertilizer prices yet most of the imported fertilizers are fake, killing crops and plants hence low production and food insecurity in the country.
Farmers requested President Museveni for Government subsidiary to alleviate their plight. “Domestic fertilizer manufacture is the sustainable solution to this problem. It is on this ground that I approved investor Ntigaciga’s Itracom Fertilizer Company to construct a factory in Uganda. He is good news to Uganda, let’s help him to construct a fertilizer factory in Uganda.” Reads Museveni’s letter to Nabbanja.
We are told, this company intends to employ over 600 youth and tranform cow dung into organic fertilizers just like it is doing in Tanzania and Burundi.
PHOTOS: When Prime Minister Nabbanja toured Itracom fertilizer plants in Tanzania and Burundi, last year. She was so impressed! Mafias in Uganda are fighting such a big project!
However, ever since the President gave this directive on October 12, 2023, a section of mafia said to be dealing in fake fertilizers allegedly vowed to frustrate Mr. Museveni and investor Ntigaciga!
Who are these mafias and what is their game plan? We will come back to this later….
WHY M7 BOUGHT NTIGACIGA’S PROPOSAL? According to a four-pager letter headed, ‘Construction of A Fertilizer Factory that uses cow dung as the main raw material by Mr. Ntigaciga Adrien’, Museveni revealed how he met this Burundian investor with a proposal to construct a fertilizer factory in Uganda.
Mr. Museveni revealed that, Investor Ntigaciga’s coming is good news to Uganda because fertilizer use in the East African country is no longer an option.
“We have used our land for ages with little or no replenishment of nutrients removed. This is aggravated by bad practices like (deforestation, bush clearing, etc) that have exposed our land to erosion.” Reads Museveni’s letter, noting that Production of key crops (Palm Oil, coffee, Tea, Maize, Irish potatoes, etc, is therefore, no longer profitable without fertilizer application).
Museveni says, Uganda’s national average fertilizer application now stands at a mere 1.5 – 2 Kg Per Acre compared to the recommended 50 Kg per Acre.
The Head of State noted that, “Cow dung is the main raw material in making fertilizer (according to Mr. Ntigaciga) and we have it in plenty! Ntigaciga adds mineral Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium as top-up material. He has given me a time-frame of 18 months from completion of registration of his business to have the factory up and running.”
For Thomases in Uganda who doubt Mr. Ntigaciga strong financial muscles, he owns similar fertilizer factories in Burundi (Bujumbura) and Tanzania (Dodoma), East African Community member countries, with annual capacity of 350,000 MT and 1,000,000 MT respectively.
Prime Minister Nabbanja toured the two mega factories, last year.
“In addition,” Museveni said, “The Burundian investor wants to establish an Agricultural Bank, an Agricultural Insurance Company, a Logistics business (for transporting the fertilizer) and a factory for making plastic packaging material for fertilizer. According to President Museveni, Uganda is currently spending about USD 300M annually on fertilizer imports. “During the months of January to June 2023, the country imported 150, 000 MT, giving a projected annual import of 300,000 MT for 2023 but the demand is expected to increase in leaps. Exorbitant price of fertilizers, mainly on a acount of dependance on importation, is another challenge”.
ABOUT THE 130 ACRES OF LAND MUSEVENI DONATED TO INVESTOR NTIGACIGA
In his letter to Premier Nabbanja, Museveni directed her to make sure, The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development avail 130 Acres of what remains of their 377 Acres at Kampiringisa, Mpigi district, to investor Ntigaciga immediately.
“The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development should expedite the process of leasing the said land to Ntigaciga Adrien. The Ministers of Works and Transport, Water and Environment, ICT and National Guidance, and Energy and Mineral Development, should prepare the site and avail the necessary amenities.” Reads Museveni’s directive to Premier Nabbanja.
ON TAX INCENTIVES
President Museveni directed that the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development should accord Mr. Ntigaciga all the tax incentives as per the laws of Uganda.
However, this being a pioneer investment of its nature, Mr. Museveni directed that, it should be given affirmative action (i.e the incentives should be renewed every after expiry of their first tenure, so it should be for 20 years instead of 10 years).
FINANCING
Because Investor Ntigaciga Adrien told the President that USD 80M was neended for the project, Mr. Museveni further directed that, Government, through UDC should enter into Partnership with Ntigaciga’s group.
“However, this may delay the investor. The alternative is to sign with them an agreement which they can use as a backing when procuring funding from banks. UDC will join them later should the need arise. Make sure all government procured fertilizer is bought from the investor as long as his product is up to standard.” Reads, Museveni’s letter.
SUPPLY OF COW DUNG
On this, Mr. Museveni directed The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to organise farmers in cattle corridor through Parish SACCOs to supply Cow dung to the factory which will act as the raw material in making fertilizer.
MINERAL PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM & NITROGEN INPUT
President Museveni said, he is informed that, besides Sukulu Hill which was licenced to the Chinese, Uganda has phosphate deposits in Manafwa (Busumbu Hill), Nakapiripirit (Lokek Hill) and Kotido (Toror Hill) that are available for licensing.
He therefore directed the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to harmonize investor Ntigaciga’s request and that of another investor from Dubai.
“The Ministry should allocate each of them one of these deposits.” Reads Museveni’s letter.
For Potassium, Mr. Museveni directed The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to issue a licence to Mr. Ntigaciga to mine Potassium Chloride in Lake Katwe and process it into Agricultural Potassium.
As for the Nitrogen component, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources was directed to make arrangements for Mr. Ntigaciga to source it from our oil and Gas resources that is about to be available.
This letter was copied to; H.E the Vice President, Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industrynand Fisheries, Hon. Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Hon. Minister of Gende, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries, PS Secretary to Cabinet, PS Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, PS Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, PS Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, PS Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries and to the investor, Mr. Ntigaciga Adrien.
Wait for Part II of the story as we name and shame Government officials sabotaging Investor Tingaciga. For views/comments on this story, send us an email on newseditor.info@gmail.com