Uganda president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who is in the Country for official tour yesterday 27th march humiliated host president Uhuru Kenyatta.
During a press conference at state house Museveni provoked Uhuru by unexpected questioning Uhuru about the fate of the Webuye pap paper factory.
Arrived in Mombasa, Kenya this morning for a three-day state visit on the invitation of His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta. Our discussions will focus on how to strengthen our countries’ political, social and economic ties. pic.twitter.com/yikQgEOnU1— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) March 27, 2019
Museveni asked his host what had happened to the famous paper milling factory at Webuye, famously known as Webuye Pan Paper in Bungoma County.
“Webuye is on the way to Bungoma and when I was going to university, Kenya had built a paper mill there, near a place called Turbo. From Webuye you go to Turbo. Now I don’t know what happened to that paper mill,” he asked.
Trembling he Uhuru was caught off guard and he couldn’t hide his shame amid shaking.
“Eeeeh,eeeh it collapsed, (shying off) we are trying to revive it,” Uhuru said.
Museveni said pan paper was core pillar to the growth of Uganda as since it collapsed,Uganda has been spending million of dollars importing material from Finland.
“Imagine I am buying paper from Finland. Finland is a place which is so cold that a tree takes 120 years to grow. In Uganda pine trees take 7 years they are already mature, but I am buying paper from Finland. Why not buy it from Webuye?” he paused.
In 2016,Uhuru announced plans to reopen the factory noting that a strategic investor has been identified.
The mill was then acquired by Rai Group. The Rai family, who run Raiply and Timsales, acquired the firm and was ready to pump Sh6 billion to revive it.
Pan Paper, the largest of its kind in East and Central Africa,was closed in 2008 after its electricity bills accumulated to more than Sh500 million, under Indian investors who later fled the Country.
Uhuru said he was committed to seeing the revival of all stalled factory operations in Western and across the country.
Locals led by their leaders have accused president Uhuru of playing politics with their only source of livelihood.
More than 500 people lost their job once the factory was closed.