Uploaded on 2014-10-17 by TMuk

[1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14135613083319422.png In the picture above, taken on a construction site in Uganda, the following key materials are on display: 1. Concrete, which is composed of cement, fine aggregate (sand) and coarse aggregate (stones); 2. Steel bars; 3. Timber, for creating the forms/shapes that the concrete becomes upon setting/hardening. The cement in the concrete is supplied by two major factories in Uganda alongside other imports from neighboring Kenya, and the Middle East. Hima Cement Limited is located in the South Western part of the country, whereas Tororo Cement Limited is located in the Eastern part of Uganda, towards the border to Kenya. These manufacturers are mainly subsidiaries of multinational corporations originating from Europe and Asia, through which the supply of additional raw materials are procured. Some of the raw materials for making the cement are locally produced (limestone and clay), whereas the majority of the raw materials such as Clinker, Gypsum, and other admixtures are imported from as far as Egypt, Middle East and China. The other constituents of concrete (sand and stones) are locally available from quarry sites and borrow pits. Where proprietary form-work is used, this is mainly imported from countries like India, China, South Africa and United Arab Emirates. Steel is made from iron and carbon, and it is made available from over 10 local manufacturers. However, despite the existence of large deposits of iron ore in the South Western part of Uganda, there has been very limited exploration of these minerals, and the local manufacturers heavily rely on bulky imports of Steel in billets from countries as far as Japan and China, and a few recycling of scrap, which are delivered to the various steel rolling mills available in the country. The challenges facing the supply of cement and steel for the construction industry in Uganda include high costs of energy for production, cheaper imports, use of expensive imported raw materials, inadequate technical expertise and unreliable technology. These challenges have made the cost of construction too high for ordinary people, who continue to live in unsafe shelters, while the use of cement and steel products are concentrated on high profile projects and construction sites in the urban centers as shown in this photograph.