Narendra Raval, the industrial magnate behind Devki Group, has completed the groundbreaking of a $500 million steel plant in Tororo, Uganda. The event, attended by President William Ruto, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, and several senior leaders from both countries, signals a new era of regional cooperation, one anchored in large-scale investment, job creation, and resource-based industrialisation.
Spanning more than 400 acres in Osukuru, the plant is projected to produce one million tonnes of steel annually, making it one of the largest steel facilities in the region and a major step toward reducing East Africa’s costly reliance on imported steel.
For Raval, popularly known as “Guru” and widely regarded as one of the region’s most impactful industrialists, the Tororo facility extends Devki Group’s decades-long strategy: leveraging indigenous raw materials, building integrated manufacturing value chains, and creating jobs at scale. Officials have pegged the Tororo plant’s job-creation potential at over 15,000 positions, a significant portion of which will be reserved for local Ugandans. According to Devki leadership, recruitment has already begun, with training and skills transfer forming a major component of the early hiring phase.
A Transformative Project Anchored in Local Resources
Speaking at the ceremony, President William Ruto called the investment a “transformative opportunity” for the region’s fast-growing construction, transport, and energy sectors and lauded Narendra Raval’s role in transforming regional industrialisation. Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and even the DRC have struggled for years under the burden of rising steel import bills, volatile global commodity prices, and logistical bottlenecks at international ports. The Tororo plant, located in a district with substantial iron ore deposits, offers a strategic shift for Narendra Raval and Devki Group; steel produced near the source of raw materials, then distributed across the region via road and future rail infrastructure.
Narendra Raval noted that Tororo’s rich iron ore reserves were a major driver behind the choice of location. “Industrial investments thrive where natural resources meet a supportive business environment,” he said, emphasising the long-term vision of developing Uganda into a regional manufacturing hub. Once operational, the plant is expected not only to stabilise steel prices but also to catalyse secondary industries such as metal fabrication, heavy machinery, construction materials, and engineering services.
Completion is targeted for late 2027, a timeline that regional stakeholders believe could align with ongoing infrastructure expansion, including energy transmission corridors, national highway upgrades, and the revival of the Kenya–Uganda Standard Gauge Railway discussions.
Kenya–Uganda Cooperation Beyond Politics
At a time when Kenya–Uganda relations have occasionally been strained by trade disputes, fuel import tensions, and geopolitical posturing, the Devki investment arrives as a welcome stabiliser. Both Ruto and Museveni underscored the symbolism of the groundbreaking: an affirmation that economic partnerships remain a unifying force despite political headwinds.
In recent years, Kenya and Uganda have sparred over issues ranging from milk exports and fuel importation to handling of EAC protocols. Yet, even amid these disputes, private-sector partnerships have consistently served as bridges. Narendra Raval’s regional footprint, spanning Kenya, Uganda, and beyond, has often placed him at the centre of this industrial diplomacy, with Devki’s investments interpreted as proof that East Africa’s economic integration can move faster than politics.
President Museveni, in characteristic bluntness, hinted that such investments reflect a shared destiny between Uganda and Kenya. “Our people have always traded, married, worked together,” he said. “That spirit cannot be disturbed by small arguments.” Ruto echoed similar sentiments, framing the project as a symbol of “confidence in the East African Community as a unified economic space.”
Regional Leadership and the Suppression of Dissent
Even as the groundbreaking celebrated economic progress, it comes against the backdrop of increased criticism directed at East African governments over restrictions on civil liberties and political expression. Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have all faced scrutiny for what human-rights bodies describe as shrinking civic space, targeted arrests, and attempts to silence dissent.
Uganda, in particular, faced renewed attention after President Museveni admitted, half-jokingly, half-threateningly, that he had kept several Kenyan activists “in a fridge” before their recent release. The activists had crossed into Uganda to support pro-democracy groups and were detained for extended periods without clear charges. Museveni’s comments reignited debate about regional complicity in cracking down on dissent, largely under the banner of national security.
Tanzania has faced its own challenges, with civil-society groups raising alarms about unlawful detentions, internet restrictions, and stringent regulations targeting journalists and opposition parties. Kenya, while seen as relatively freer, has also been criticised for police violence during protests, controversial arrests, and digital surveillance concerns.
This broader political reality forms the uncomfortable backdrop to high-profile events such as the Devki groundbreaking. While leaders celebrate industrial unity, critics argue that genuine regional integration must also include political openness, respect for human rights, and strong democratic institutions. For now, however, the dominant narrative, especially from statehouses, is that economic development should remain the continent’s primary focus.
Devki Group Is A Story of Industrial Growth, Jobs, and Human Development
Narendra Raval’s Devki Group is arguably one of East Africa’s most remarkable industrial success stories. From its origins as a modest hardware shop in Gikomba in the 1980s, the company has grown into a continental heavyweight in steel, cement, roofing materials, and aviation. With manufacturing plants in Nairobi, Athi River, Ruiru, Thika, and now Uganda, Devki’s footprint has placed it at the heart of East Africa’s industrial backbone.
Devki Group’s investments have consistently emphasised inclusive job creation, training, and empowerment of local communities. Thousands of engineers, technicians, welders, and machine operators across Kenya and Uganda trace their careers back to Devki facilities. The company is also known for internal apprenticeship programmes that absorb local youth, many of whom rise into leadership roles within its various subsidiaries.
Furthermore, Raval has built a reputation for philanthropy and community upliftment. Through the Devki Foundation, he has supported education, healthcare, and disaster-relief initiatives, including funding specialised medical equipment, sponsoring students, and donating oxygen cylinders at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. His approach merges industrial leadership with social responsibility, making his brand synonymous with both economic and human development.
What the Tororo Plant Means for the Region
When fully operational in late 2027, the Tororo steel plant is expected to significantly reshape East Africa’s industrial landscape, marking a shift toward regionally anchored manufacturing capacity. One of the most immediate impacts will be the reduction of steel import dependence, as producing the metal closer to raw-material sources promises to save the region billions of shillings currently spent on imports from Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
The project is also poised to become one of Uganda’s largest sources of industrial employment, with more than 15,000 direct and indirect jobs projected once the facility reaches full capacity. This level of job creation has the potential to transform the socio-economic profile of Tororo and strengthen Uganda’s broader labour market.
Beyond domestic benefits, the plant is expected to stimulate cross-border trade across the East African Community, as Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Tanzania stand to gain from shorter supply chains and significantly lower logistical costs. Such efficiency gains could boost regional competitiveness and support the growth of downstream industries that rely heavily on steel inputs.
The investment further offers an opportunity to ease political tensions between Kenya and Uganda by anchoring the two countries in a shared economic interest. As both governments continue to navigate periodic disagreements, the Tororo project provides a stable foundation for cooperation and mutual benefit.
Yet these advancements unfold against a backdrop of ongoing political challenges, including concerns over human rights, governance, and civic freedoms within the region. Even so, the Tororo steel plant stands as a powerful testament to East Africa’s ability to unite around ambitious development goals, illustrating that progress is still possible despite the tensions that persist.
Narendra Raval’s Regional Vision in a Polarised Era
In a period marked by political uncertainties and accusations of democratic backsliding, the groundbreaking of the Devki steel plant in Tororo offers a rare moment of optimism for East Africa. It showcases what Narendra Raval has long championed: that industrial investment, underpinned by local resources and regional cooperation, can lift communities, create employment, and drive national transformation.
For Kenya and Uganda, the project is more than a steel plant—it is a strategic reminder that joint economic interests can ease diplomatic tensions. For the East African Community, it represents the promise of deeper integration. And for the thousands who will work, train, and build careers around the facility, it signals a better future forged in the furnaces of Devki’s most ambitious project yet.
