The Board of Directors of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) led by Dr Priscilla Nyadoi have commended the Kiira Motors team for adhering to the environment set conditions and ESIA guidelines at the Kiira Vehicles Plant site under construction by the UPDF -National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) at the Jinja Industrial and Business park.
The NEMA Board and management team while on the tour of the site noted with satisfaction the strict adherence to the 22 conditions that were set by NEMA at the commencement of the construction works slated to be completed mid next year .
A legacy project
Dr. Nyadoi said that the Kiira Vehicles plant should be used as a role model at other government construction sites for its dedication to comply with all the environment protection requirements even when implementing such a huge national project .
“This is a legacy project which must be emulated by all those involved with similar government construction projects. Sustainable development which takes care of all the environment related issues for the good benefit of the present and future generations must be the core stone of all government projects of this nature ,” Dr. Nyadoi who is the NEMA Board of Directors Deputy Chairperson stated.
The NEMA team which included , Prof. Elly N. Sabiiti , Mr. Gideon Badagawa who is also the Executive Director of the Private sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) ,Commissioner Julian Kyomuhange, and the Deputy Executive Director of NEMA , Ms. Christine Echookit Akello were received at the site by the Kiira Motors Executive Chairman , Prof. Sandy Stevens Tickodri – Togboa, the KMC CEO , Mr. Paul Isaac Musasizi and Eng. Brian Buhanda -the NEC General Manager.
Prof. Tickodri is a happy man
Prof. Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa who has been at the forefront of advocating a skills oriented education at Uganda’s higher institutions of learning said he was proud of his former engineering students at Makerere University who are now at the helm of major national development projects . Prof. Tickodri thanked President Museveni for the continued support to ensure that KMC realizes its mission to produce vehicles in Uganda.
NEMA ED calls for reduced carbon footprint
Ms. Echookit Akello, emphasized the need to plant trees and ensure proper drainage at the plant which is set to produce at least 22 buses a day and up to 5000 a year in the first phase of Kiira Motors commercialization . She called on government to promote the green mobility technologies now being championed by Kiira Motors to bring down the national carbon footprint in the country which is largely being produced by end-of -life second hand vehicles.
Prof. Sabiiti noted that Kiira Motors in partnership with the UPDF NEC have demonstrated that Ugandan trained engineers and other skilled workers have the competencies and technical ability to undertake big construction works of high quality .
The PSFU ED ,Mr. Badagawa called upon Ugandans to tap into the economic opportunities that will be created across Uganda’s Automotive Industry value chain when Uganda starts to produce vehicles on a large commercial scale .
KMC is compliant
Mr. Musasasizi said that KMC and NEC had obtained all the necessary approvals including the site layout plans from the Ministry of Works and Transport, Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development), Kakira Town Council Authorities, Uganda Investment Authority, National Environment Management Authority and other relevant authorities before commencement of the project activities.
He further stated that KMC is committed to dispose off all waste including (hazardous and nonhazardous) such as used oil, oil/fuel filters, used tyres, solvents, paint particles, bitumen, Tar, among others which may arise from the different phases of implementation of the vehicle manufacturing plant in an environmentally-sound manner- in compliance with the National Environment (Waste Management) Regulations.
