Uganda recently welcomed people from two German car tech companies. They came to talk about making cars and batteries in Uganda. These companies make electric car parts in cities called Stuttgart and Munich. They met with Stephen Kyaterekera from the Foreign Affairs office. Ambassador Stephen Mubiru brought these business leaders to Uganda because he wants them to build factories here.
The German experts work with battery making and special brake systems for cars. They visited Kiira Motors in Jinja city to see what Ugandans already make. Both sides talked about ways to help each other. German knowledge could really change how Uganda builds cars. Uganda wants to become the main place in Africa where people buy electric cars and parts. The country changed tax rules last year to help car makers.
The government stopped charging stamp duty tax on businesses that make electric cars. Companies also need to hire mostly Ugandan workers to skip this tax. President Museveni said Uganda has lots of lithium in the ground. Lithium helps make batteries for electric cars. He told everyone that Uganda will not sell raw lithium to other countries. Instead, Uganda plans to make complete batteries here at home. These batteries last longer than other types.
Car batteries need lithium to work well. This metal stores more energy than other materials. Cars can drive farther when they use lithium batteries. The batteries also work for many years before needing replacement. Uganda has big plans for its electric car future. The government promised to help the German companies if they decided to build factories in Uganda. They told them starting a business in Uganda would be easy.
Kiira Motors already builds electric buses and cars in Uganda. The local company needs experienced partners. Both German companies bring advanced knowledge about making car parts. Their visit shows that many countries notice what Uganda offers. The country sits in a good spot to sell things across East Africa. Uganda wants to create jobs by making things instead of just selling materials to others. More electric cars running on local batteries would help reach this goal.
The German experts work with battery making and special brake systems for cars. They visited Kiira Motors in Jinja city to see what Ugandans already make. Both sides talked about ways to help each other. German knowledge could really change how Uganda builds cars. Uganda wants to become the main place in Africa where people buy electric cars and parts. The country changed tax rules last year to help car makers.
The government stopped charging stamp duty tax on businesses that make electric cars. Companies also need to hire mostly Ugandan workers to skip this tax. President Museveni said Uganda has lots of lithium in the ground. Lithium helps make batteries for electric cars. He told everyone that Uganda will not sell raw lithium to other countries. Instead, Uganda plans to make complete batteries here at home. These batteries last longer than other types.
Car batteries need lithium to work well. This metal stores more energy than other materials. Cars can drive farther when they use lithium batteries. The batteries also work for many years before needing replacement. Uganda has big plans for its electric car future. The government promised to help the German companies if they decided to build factories in Uganda. They told them starting a business in Uganda would be easy.
Kiira Motors already builds electric buses and cars in Uganda. The local company needs experienced partners. Both German companies bring advanced knowledge about making car parts. Their visit shows that many countries notice what Uganda offers. The country sits in a good spot to sell things across East Africa. Uganda wants to create jobs by making things instead of just selling materials to others. More electric cars running on local batteries would help reach this goal.
