First, we must admit that nations need to be built. While nation-building is not a literal thing, physical infrastructure contributes to a nation’s soul in many other ways. Uganda’s case is similar, as has Uganda Baati’s contribution over the last six decades. When the company, then known as Steel Works Company, started in Tororo in 1964, little was anticipated beyond meeting an infrastructural need at a time; almost a decade later, in 1972, National politics would come to affect the momentum achieved as shareholders soon retreated in light of the Asian repatriation orchestrated by then President Idi Amin Dada.
Yet all was not lost; a nation needed its foundations set, yes, this time including the literal ones too; the company would later remerge to accelerate after 1986 as owners were invited back by the new government, just in time to set up a stellar record in advancing the heart of a nation.
The incoming Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Government would soon kickstart a journey of rebuilding a nation torn apart by decades of war; at the moment in time, no one positioned themselves better as a better infrastructural partner than Uganda Baati, multiple infrastructure needs at a time, including industrialization needs, health facility construction, nationwide administration blocks, required a consistent service provider that not only fit the bill but had the quality to match. The tides were beginning to change.
Sixty years of committed partnerships with the Uganda Government have since not disappointed. Indeed, the Government’s vision to rebuild a whole new Uganda proved to be a key engagement point for the alliance between the Mulwana Road-based company and the national administration. The ground for Uganda Baati to serve a young country was laid.
The last decade has seen the company thrive in its infrastructural goals. However, it has also witnessed a shift in the Safal group-owned company’s intervention towards a direction more aligned with investing in the next generation through their corporate social responsibility programs, among other facts of infrastructure support commercial acceleration.
Notwithstanding, the Safal group-owned company has also maintained a commitment to its “green responsibility” mandate, demonstrating its recognition of Uganda as a country gifted by nature through its eco-friendly interventions. As Testament, Uganda Baati has since led the local manufacturing pack in modeling climate-aware solutions.
The company’s impact has also been seen in the employment provided to thousands of Ugandans in the construction sector. This milestone is particularly relevant to the nation’s young and energetic population. The environment created by the Government of Uganda remains the backdrop and foundation of much of the company’s Uganda market impact, which is realized through its commercial yet sustainable building solutions. As recent stakeholder engagement has also indicated, the effect has been reciprocal, with 60 years of tax remissions going into the Ugandan economy through the company’s outstanding compliance.
Resilience has been the mark of shareholder engagement through Uganda Baati, highlighting the government’s role in advancing nation-building through the company’s commercial efforts. What could have died off as a result of the 1972 expulsion of Asians soon rose to become a dream come true.
Looking ahead, as the company celebrates 60 years. A lot stands on the horizon; there is no doubt the favorable conditions of investment and regulatory context provided by the Uganda Government have gone a long way in ensuring lasting development, primarily through her commercial yet nation-building effort. Many thanks to the Government of Uganda for creating an enabling environment. The Government of Uganda has been quite supportive of the steel sector. We are excited to see the government’s involvement in opening the infrastructure link with regional markets as realize the EAC agenda.
