An employee works at the factory of the Orion Transformers and Electrics Ltd in Mukono district, Uganda, on Nov. 1, 2018. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday unveiled the country's largest power transformer at a plant run by the first private joint venture between Uganda and China. Orion Transformers and Electrics Ltd, located in the central Ugandan district of Mukono, about 15 km east of Kampala, was established in 2012 and started production in 2015. (Xinhua/Joseph Kiggundu)
MUKONO, Uganda, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday unveiled the country's largest power transformer at a plant run by the first private joint venture between Uganda and China.
Orion Transformers and Electrics Ltd, located in the central Ugandan district of Mukono, about 15 km east of Kampala, was established in 2012 and started production in 2015.
Tucked in the middle of Namanve Industrial Park, Orion Transformers and Electrics Ltd is the only transformer-making factory in the east Africa country.
Patrick Bitature, former chairman of Uganda Investment Authority, told reporters at the plant that it is through such ventures that Uganda can fast track its development.
When factories set up base in Uganda, they are not only creating jobs but also transfering skills, said Bitature, also a prominent businessman.
"These partnerships are what we need to develop skills. We need them to train our people, if the skills are transferred, then it is a win-win," he said.
The factory now produces 1,500 transformers and switch-gear annually, with an output value of 10 million U.S. dollars.
Local employees have now gained skills and can carry on with the works at the plant, said factory general manager Liu Hanlin.
Out of the 35 workers who assemble and repair transformers, only three are Chinese nationals and the rest are locals, he said.
Liu said the factory has trained over 70 local workers since 2015 and that some of them have ended up leaving the country to work elsewhere because of the skills they gained.
Hou Jianxiong, chairman of Orion Transformers and Electrics Ltd, said the firm hopes to eventually invest 100 million dollars and create 5,000 jobs.
