NAKASEKE, Uganda — Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho, widely known as Salim Saleh, made a candid confession about his past financial ruin during the 10th anniversary celebration of the Liao Shen Industrial Park in Nakaseke, commonly known as Kapeeka Industrial Park, on Dec. 6.
Gen. Saleh told an audience of diplomats, military officers and corporate leaders that the industrial park, which now hosts 34 factories, is a direct result of overcoming a period of personal financial chaos two decades ago that nearly cost him his dignity.
“When people look at me today, they often see the soldier, the four star general… What they rarely see is the chapter of my life when I almost lost everything — my property, confidence and my dignity,” Gen. Saleh said.
The general explained that after stepping down as senior presidential advisor on defense and security in 1998, he plunged into the civilian business world. He invested in more than 50 projects linked to the Uganda Commercial Bank and the Coffee Marketing Board, but made reckless decisions that led to their collapse.
“I was in financial trouble. I had lost a lot of money because of lending to people who could not pay me back,” he confessed, citing generosity mixed with naivety.
In 2003, seeking stability, Gen. Saleh went to see his brother, President Yoweri Museveni, to ask for reinstatement into the army.
The president’s response was a blunt refusal and a warning that Gen. Saleh described as a turning point. “Saleh your state is worrying. You appear desperate. In your state you can even sell guns,” the president told him. When Gen. Saleh asked if he had reached that level, Museveni simply replied, “Bankrupt people can be very dangerous.”
The president refused the reinstatement and insisted Gen. Saleh must liquidate his debts, but he gave one firm command: The land in Kapeeka must never be sold.
“On that single point, his firmness became my salvation,” Gen. Saleh said.
Years later, that protected land became the core of the Kapeeka Industrial Park, reviving not only his personal fortunes but the economy of the entire region.
The celebration and exhibition, attended by China’s Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong, highlighted the transformative growth of the park, which focuses on import substitution and value addition.
Out of 80 planned factories, 21 are operational, creating thousands of jobs. Companies like Goodwill Ceramic and Ho and Mu Food plastic recycling plants are reshaping Uganda’s industrial footprint.
Local officials and workers confirmed the park’s impact. Moses Ssenfuma, the LC3 chairperson of Kapeeka sub-county, reported that local revenue has risen sharply from Shs300 million in 2021 to Shs1.5 billion currently.
The park’s food processing factories have also triggered a massive surge in demand for produce, including mangoes, pineapples and oranges. Agronomist Samuel Kawere noted a significant shift in the local mindset toward commercial fruit farming.
To sustain the park, the government invested Shs319 billion in 2023 for infrastructure, including roads, electricity, drainage and waste management.
Gen. Saleh concluded his remarks by sharing a message of redemption: “Today, when I walk through the Kapeeka Industrial Park, I see more than factories and warehouses. I see redemption. I see proof that a man can rise again if he faces his failures with honesty and discipline.”
