Archbishop Ssemogerere says integrity is key, joins Uganda Clays’ 70-year celebrations

Archbishop Ssemogerere
At the ceremony, Uganda Clays officially offered half an acre of land for the construction of St. Barbara Catholic Sub-Parish Church as a replacement for the St. Barbara Chapel that has been housed inside the company premises since the establishment of the company
Kajjansi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere has urged employees to embrace high levels of integrity and love while serving in their various posts. This was part of his sermon as Uganda Clays Limited celebrates 70 years of existence on Thursday.
The archbishop says that genuine love for one another is the greatest commandment that Jesus Christ gave to Christians. He said that love should be manifested in all ways of life, especially at workplaces, and should be visible since most Ugandans are Christians.
He emphasized that Ugandan society is challenged in several ways due to failure to feel genuine love for fellow countrymen. “We still have challenges and difficulties because we have refused to love one another. May we, as we start the new year, heed the message of Jesus Christ through the apostle John to love one another, and then we shall be comfortable and happy.”
Ssemogerere said that people should treat each other as humans and avoid favouritism based on tribe and other social strata. “In this challenging year as we’re preparing for elections, let us live comfortably and in respect for human rights for everybody.”
At the ceremony, Uganda Clays officially offered half an acre of land for the construction of St. Barbara Catholic Sub-Parish Church as a replacement for the St. Barbara Chapel that has been housed inside the company premises since the establishment of the company.
Lauben Tumwebaze, the Managing Director, said that with the blessings from the archbishop and the working relations established with the Church, the company is set to be revamped from its non-profit-making status. “We have had bilateral discussions and forged partnerships, which will mean working together in all Church infrastructural projects and industrial development. We are looking forward to many other partnerships.”
Tumwebaze adds that several initiatives have been put in place to make this a reality. “As we start this season, we have acquired many reserves for clay, we have installed new production lines, several of which have started working, and this will continue for the next two years. We will multiply our production capacity by over eight times,” he said, adding “This is being done at Kajjansi as well as in Kamonkoli.”
He revealed that they have so far acquired up to 140 acres of clay reserves for Kajjansi and 60 acres for Kamonkoli, targeting 600 acres, and are adding another 70 acres of additive reserves that support sweetening in the next three years.
Tumwebaze added that their main focus moving forward is automating operations, as well as expanding outside Ugandan borders and establishing a builders’ academy to support the proper installation of clay products across the region.
About the company’s poor performance on the stock market as well as high indebtedness, the Managing Director emphasized that the innovations are aimed at overcoming these challenges. This is derived from the planned state recapitalization of up to 42 billion Shillings, the installation of new equipment in the entire preparation and moulding shop, the modified process lines now having tertiary grinding systems, a new extruder, the revamped press machines, along with the three new ones, and more still coming.
“With these developments, as investors in UCL, we now have a clear hope that our dividends will go high, and we’ll be able to pay off that NSSF debt in the shortest time possible,” he said.
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