Economic activities
The town is at the heart of a wealthy district, whose major economic activities
include among others coffee, tea, vanilla and sugar production, fishing and
livestock production. A range of wholesale and retail businesses are also thriving
in the town. Mukono town is also used as a center from which business people
from the interior access supplies of essential commodities from wholesalers.
Location
Mukono town is situated at the heart of a wealthy district (Mukono), whose
major economic activities include among others agriculture (coffee, tea, vanilla,
sugar production, bananas, fishing and livestock production), a range of wholesale
and retail businesses and services.
The town is strategically located on the Kampala-Jinja highway, which eases
the transportation of goods and people.
It is used as a center from which business people from the interior access supplies
of essential goods and services.
The town's proximity to Kampala and Entebbe International Airport immensely
enhances its strategic importance.
The interior is a district, which has a fairly reliable communication network
making most areas easily accessible. There are 177 kilometers of trunk road
and 880 kilometers of passable murram roads.
Investment Potential
The strategic location of Mukono town provides a good atmosphere for investment
by both local and foreign investors. Great importance has been attached on development
with the district conforming to the investment code of 1991, which aims at providing
a favorable environment for investment.
Already three industrial parks have been developed at Lwanyonyi, Kyetume and
Namanve to facilitate the establishment of industries.
When the parks are fully developed, it is hoped that this will attract more
investors in the district. Lwanyonyi, Kyetume and Namanve are 6, 8 and 6 kilometers
from Mukono town, respectively. Namanve is anticipated to be the largest industrial/business
park in Uganda and will cover over 1,000 hectares.
The district also has a huge potential for agricultural investment and has set
aside some 4,149.3 square kilometers for this purpose for a suitable investor.
Industry
Mukono is a home to many industries including the Sugar Corporation of Uganda
Limited (SCOUL) and Cable Corporation at Lugazi, Nile Breweries at Njeru and
Century Bottling Company at Namanve. Opportunities are available in areas of
food and fish processing and textiles manufacture owing to the close proximity
of the district to Nalubaale (Owen falls) dam at Jinja.
An un exploited area for investment is the huge potential for the construction
and ceramics industry, which could exploited the huge deposits of clay and fine
gravel at the lake Victoria shores for ceramics and tiles manufacture.
Agriculture
Mukono is endowed with reliable rainfall and fertile soils. The district, which
has an area of about 12,437.24 square kilometers, has a high potential for local
and foreign investment.
Only 1,278.81 square kilometers of the available arable land is under cultivation.
Sugarcane plantation
Agriculture in Mukono includes both commercial and subsistence crop production.
Subsistence agriculture provides for the daily food requirements of the peasant
farmers and the excess is sold to the urban areas to cater for household incomes.
Major food crops include the traditional bananas, sweet potatoes, cassava, yam,
beans, maize, and pineapples among others. Commercial crops include coffee,
tea, vanilla, sugar canes and cocoa.
A prominent feature of agriculture in Mukono is plantation agriculture, which
presently includes coffee, cocoa, sugar cane, vanilla and tea plantations.
A major activity in the district is fishing. Mukono shares a large area with
the shoreline of lakes Victoria and Kyoga. The fishing industry has therefore
been a traditional economic activity in the district since time immemorial.
In recent times, the fish industry has developed to become Uganda's second most
important foreign exchange earner after coffee. This has seen the establishment
and development of the facilities at land sites to improve on the handling of
the fish for export trade.
ARDC Cattle rearing farm
Livestock farming is yet another economic activity shriving in Mukono and has
greatly improved on the beef and dairy production in the country. However, a
huge potential remains unexploited in this area despite the huge natural resources
and enabling environment.
Commercial livestock production is still underdeveloped and will be a key area
for further development.
Tourism
Mukono has a wide diversity of dry land and water natural flora and fauna.
The district shares a large area with lake Victoria and some part with lake
Kyoga. Several rivers run across the district including river Ssezibwa and the
Nile.
The district is covered with a large area of forest among which is Mabira forest;
one of Uganda's largest natural forests well known for Eco- Tourism and it has
a basic campsite with bandas. Mukono has some of Uganda's finest hotels including
the Colline and Rider hotels, which are 'Three Star' hotels with exquisite accommodation
facilities.
There are also a number of camping sites for the more adventurous tourists.
More information could be got from the page on attractions.
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