Uganda is positioning itself for a major economic shift as the Kabalega Industrial Park and Kabalega International Airport in Hoima move closer to completion, anchoring the country’s long-term plan to convert oil resources into broad-based industrial growth.
Spanning nearly 30 square kilometres, the industrial park is being developed as Uganda’s flagship energy and manufacturing hub, centred around the national oil refinery that will process crude from the Tilenga and Kingfisher fields into products such as diesel, petrol, kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas.
The facility will be complemented by a multi-products pipeline, water supply system and a distribution terminal at Namwabala to support domestic and regional fuel markets.
The Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), which is spearheading the development, has already secured 31 investors across petrochemicals, agro-processing, logistics, warehousing and ICT.
A data centre linked to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline is among the planned installations, signalling efforts to integrate energy production with digital infrastructure.
UNOC Chief Executive Officer Proscovia Nabbanja said the project reflects a deliberate shift from simply exporting crude to building industries around it. “Our focus is not just on producing oil, but on building an integrated industrial ecosystem that supports manufacturing, technology and jobs for Ugandans,” she said.
“The Kabalega Industrial Park will be a model for how natural resources can drive inclusive growth.”
Internal infrastructure is also taking shape, with 11 kilometres of roads already opened out of the 98 kilometres planned. Full development is expected to generate an estimated 35,000 jobs, supported by residential, hospitality and recreation facilities.
A resettlement and compensation programme for 4,000 households has been completed, including livelihood restoration and construction of new community institutions.
The adjoining Kabalega International Airport—now 95.2% complete—will further enhance the park’s competitiveness. Featuring a 3.5-kilometre runway capable of handling four large cargo aircraft at once, the airport is expected to be fully built by March next year, with certification to follow. Once operational, it will handle both cargo and passenger traffic, linking Hoima directly to regional markets.
With energy, transport and industrial infrastructure being developed as one ecosystem, the Kabalega projects mark a pivotal stage in Uganda’s ambition to become an East African manufacturing and logistics hub.
For government planners, the bet is clear: oil production will not be the endgame, but the trigger for a new era of industrialisation.