Ministers Katumba Wamala, Anite welcome UAE company to set up firefighting assembly plant in Uganda

By Elijah Khisa

The president’s persistent song of encouraging more investors to come and secure opportunities in Uganda continues to pay off with more heeding the call by going practical in setting up equipment ready to roll out product production and creation of new  jobs.

The latest on the new arrivals is NAFFCO group based in the UAE which is the world’s largest manufacturer of high quality fire and safety fighting equipment and appliances.

While closing the two day high level training seminar in safety and firefighting skills organized by officials from NAFFCO headquarters which was held  in Kampala, the state minister for investment Hon. Evelyn Anite told the over 80  participants who included  fire and safety  technical officers drawn from government ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs] and private sector  that government welcomes NAFFCO to Uganda and would avail them with all the necessary logistical documentations including free land as long as they will set up a modern firefighting equipment assembly plant in the country.

“Am humbled to let you know that government has positively received your request of expression of interest to invest in Uganda by way of setting up a modern state of art fire and safety equipment assembly plant  and we shall secure the land as soon as possible,” noted the beaming  junior minister as the NAFFCO bosses  both clapped  and nodded in the affirmative.  

After listening in to exclusive presentations from the NAFFCO fire and safety technical experts as well as hearing from the Uganda government side about the technical challenges leading to escalation of fire outbreaks, minister Anite said the delegation from NAFFCO had knocked on the right door at the right time.

“Am excited by your amazing firefighting technological video presentations and just take it from me that Uganda as a country has suffered a series of preventable fire outbreaks across all sectors including schools, factories among others with the recent latest outbreak hitting a foam mattress factory in Mbale Industrial park leading to instant loss of billions of shillings in  machinery and raw materials,” lamented the minister.

The minister of works and transport Gen.Katumba Wamala has said the government should consider partnering with NAFFCO Group  for its high quality firefighting equipment which can be used to fight the ever escalating cases of fire outbreaks leading to gross loss of both lives and property which incident directly hurts the economy.

Gen Wamala had made the remarks earlier  while officially opening the  two day  seminar  which was under the  theme  ‘Build a foundation for fire and safety’ which exposed the officers to the new global fire and safety standards of which knowledge they should use in their sector policy planning programs.

He commanded the Madhvani group for sponsoring the seminar and bringing NAFFCO technical experts of fire and safety to Uganda saying the training was very strategic and timely given that the country was losing many lives through would be avoidable fire outbreaks especially the schools which have a big problem to the government.

“As government we would like to appreciate Madhvani group for sponsoring this very important training seminar which has come at a time when many cases of arson attacks on schools and other infrastructure was on the rise however we shall see how best to lobby government to see that it opens up new communication channels with NAFFCO Group such that the country can acquire their high sophisticate fire and safety equipment,” noted the minister.

NAFFCO promotes fire safety and security by providing innovative life solutions all under one roof which also  offers a wide range of world-class fire fighting equipment, trucks and vehicles, fire pumps and controllers, fire protection systems, passive fire protection, extra-low voltage solutions, medical, safety, and training.