Sh8b Value Addition Facility Lies Idle In Arua

By Robert Ariaka
Two years ago, the construction of a value-addition facility, a component of the Arua main
market project, was completed and ready to support farmers to add value to their agricultural
products.
The sh8b value addition plant continues to lie idle without being utilized for its purpose despite
the ardent need to add value to various cereal crops products like beans, maize, simsim,
sorghum, ground nuts and cassava.
Engineer Joel Aita, the consultant of Joadah Consults who supervised the project said, the
facility needs 300kws of power about 0.3mws to operate the heavy-duty machine.
With three separate engines, the facility manages 80 tons of grains per day and has a capacity of
500 tons of storage.
Aita says the machine was ready in 2021, tested and technical persons were trained to manage
the facility which can employ 50 workers directly at the factory and over 1,000 people who will
benefit through the value-addition process.
Khemis Muzaid the Mayor Arua Central Division is not pleased with the delay to operationalize
the value-addition facility.
He said, the challenge of industrially unstable power is crippling the operationalization of the
plant.
The factory would employ 1,000 people to get jobs, but with the generators we have in Euata
which go off and on, the factory cannot be managed by generators” Muzaid said.
The Mayor says he expects the legislators from the West Nile region to demand the government
to connect power from the national grid to ensure the supply is steady to manage the place.
“I expect the MPs to have a strong voice over power issues. If the power will be a political gain
then it will not add value to the common people” Muzaid said.
When bulbs go off and computers shut down in offices, it affects everybody regardless of
political affiliations Muzaid said.
Jackson Lee Buti Atima, the MP for Arua Central division said the value addition component
would be a plus for the government to promote the current Parish Development Model PDM but
it is redundant.
The Arua main market and the value addition plant are pending official commissioning by the
President.
Emmanuel Angudubo the Town Clerk Arua Central Division said West Nile still receives
cassava from Palisa district and other parts of the country yet it needs to produce enough to feed
the plant.
Paul Batanda the Arua City Clerk said the machines need experts to manage and generate
revenue for the city. He said the ministry of local government will get a service provider for the
facility.
“Already an advert was published in the New Vision to get a service provider” Batanda
confirmed.
President Yoweri Musevni has set to visit West Nile for a presidential tour and camp in the
region for two days on April 11 and 12. The West Nile leaders have already prioritized issues to
present to the head of state with Hydro Electric Power Connection of West Nile to National grid
as the top gender to discuss.
……………………………………………………………