Sunbelt employees bagging the fine crushed marble stones into different sizes of the powder ready for use to manufacture different products. Photos by Arnest Tumwesige
By Arnest Tumwesige
Moroto: Once described as a land of pastoralists, conflict, and backwardness, Karamoja is gradually wearing a new face.
The establishment of three multi-trillion-shilling hardware factories in Moroto district is giving the region its first real taste of industrialization, a transformation locals believe will redefine their future.
The pioneer among these is Sunbelt Mining Group Limited, a UGX 50 billion marble processing factory established by Chinese entrepreneur Sun Zhan Zhong under his Marble Mining Group.
Settled in Nanyidik Village, Rupa Sub-County, Sunbelt is already producing high-value products from marble stones, ranging from elegant floor tiles, balcony stands, marble slabs and lime.
The addition of Sunbird Cement and Tororo Cement factories, now under construction in Nadunget and Tapac Sub-Counties. Their completion, expected in October 2025 and March 2026 respectively, is being seen as a turning point not just for Moroto, but for the wider Karamoja sub-region.
Transforming Lives beyond the Factory Walls
For locals, the impact is already visible. At Sunbelt, it is not only about stone and lime but about building human capital.
The factory begun the sponsorship in 2019 with five students enrolling from Karamoja to pursue medical courses at universities across Uganda. With close guidance from Col. Amos Oyugi, the Karamoja regional OWC coordinator, the pioneer students are poised to graduate late this year, as other five enrolled.
One of the beneficiaries is Peter Koriang, 29, a resident of Rupa Sub-County. After completing his advanced secondary education in 2018, the dream of joining university seemed out of reach.
But through the initiative of the Rupa Community Development Trust (RUCODET), which negotiated scholarships with Sunbelt, Koriang enrolled for a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at Kampala International University in 2019. He now awaits graduation.
“In a region like Karamoja, where illiteracy levels are high, having health workers from within is a big achievement,” he told GNNA. “Local doctors can better understand the people and their culture compared to outsiders.”
Koriang plans to volunteer at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital until he secures formal employment. “Having academic papers is a step forward. Whenever opportunities come, we are ready,” he said.
Attracting Infrastructure
The ripple effects of industrialization are spreading. In Tapac and Katikekile Sub-Counties, communities in January this year donated 15 acres of land to Tororo Cement for the construction of a primary school and a health facility.
The projects, worth billions, are being handled by Granite General Contractors Ltd, Tororo Cement’s corporate social responsibility partner across Uganda.
Meanwhile, in Rupa, artisanal miners who once dominated the marble-rich landscape have not been left behind. As part of the community agreement, they received UGX 300 million in compensation.
And despite the investor fencing off 3.3 square kilometers for the factory, miners are still allowed to collect offcuts from production and sell them an act locals describe as “inclusive development.”
In addition, RUCODET, working with a government valuer, secured UGX 1.5 billion from the investor as compensation to gain surface rights over the 21-year lease. The arrangement is renewable should the investor wish to extend operations beyond that period.
Adding Value, Not Just Extracting
According to Obed Kansiime, manager of local workers at Sunbelt, the initial focus was simple extraction. But a directive from President Museveni to add value to minerals changed everything.
“Since 2020, when the President launched the factory, we have been producing about 900 tons of lime and 500 square meters of marble slabs every month,” Kansiime said. “We make all sorts of models based on clients’ wishes, even human statues.”
The lime is now an essential ingredient for several Ugandan industries, used in paint, PVC pipes, mattresses, textiles, chicken feed, medicine, and toothpaste due to its rich calcium content.
OWC’s Role as a Bridge
At the heart of these partnerships is Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), which has acted as a bridge between investors and communities.
“OWC ensures that both sides operate on level ground,” explained Col. Amos Oyugi, the regional OWC coordinator. “When Sunbird Cement came here, we worked closely with the community to secure acceptance. Without unity, such projects cannot succeed.”
For Col. Oyugi, the factories are not just about jobs or industrial output, they represent a new social contract between Karamoja and investors, one where development is tied to education, compensation, and inclusive growth.
The New Face of Karamoja
For years, Karamoja was synonymous with cattle raids, hunger, and marginalization. But the factories rising from its soil are shifting that narrative.
With marble slabs polished for export, about 40 young people donned in overalls are employed at Sunbelt factory.
“This is more than just industrialization,” Lucy Adero a 26 year old a resident of Rupa sub-county told GNNA that; “It is the rebirth of Karamoja.”
