When Tembo Steels Limited established a factory at Lugazi Municipality in the Buikwe district many residents smiled at the job opportunities that had come closer to them.
The creation of numerous job positions seemed like a promising development, igniting a sense of optimism within the community.
However, this newfound optimism would soon be overshadowed by a dark and sinister reality that gradually emerged and remained unchecked by the governing authorities over the years.
It has been discovered that workers, particularly those working in the furnace department, electricians, and operators of heavy machinery, meet untimely and tragic ends within the confines of the factory.
It has become apparent that the factory’s oppressive working conditions and lack of safety measures have claimed the lives of various workers whose families go uncompensated and the injured untreated.
The most recent victim is Godfrey Mwambu who was burnt operating metallurgical production. Despite the heat being higher than 400 degrees celsius, Mwambu lacked a single body protective gear.
Eventually, he was burnt, unfortunately, Tembo Steels declined to take him for medical attention. It is out of the community’s mercy that Mwambu is receiving treatment and slowly responding.
“They will never come to your rescue, it has been the trend, you get injured and the factory will never pay attention. So many of my colleagues sustained injuries, were neglected, and eventually passed on. I remember Okuyu, we buried him in Arua and others,” Mwambu says out of great pain.
The concern of lack of essential protective gear arises among several employees. Joseph Kizza, lost an eye in 2021 due to a lack of protective gear.
Doctors at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital could save his eye but unfortunately arrived at the facility late after days. The factory later processed only four million for his treatment.
“I was hit by a metal, I don’t recall seeing it coming, and there was still a chance for recovery. Unfortunately, the management ignored me. By the time my family took me to the hospital, doctors recommended surgery focused on removing my eye. Regardless, the factory declined to compensate me for the loss.” Kizza notes.

He reveals that the district probation officer to whom he went for a redress disheartened him instead by telling him the four million received was enough for treatment and compensation.
Isa Ssebaggala in February 2021 was strongly hit on the head and left halfway dead before spending months in the hospital, he can never work again but never compensated.
He is not alone, Julius Nsubuga’s hands were cut off on October 23, 2019, in his line of duty, denied treatment, and has never been compensated.
He has moved to different offices including district labour and as well the ministry but has never received justice.
Nsubuga was electrocuted by 11KV high voltage of a faulty power substation he had been employed to monitor.

Currently, his wife abandoned him choosing to relocate to his mother’s home. The only thing he is capable of doing is eating.
The identities of many victims remained shrouded in darkness, concealed by the complicit silence of both the police and the factory managers. They lack simple gear such as gloves, ear covers, and boots.
Even more alarming is the fact that none of the workers wears headgear, despite operating machines that generate high levels of heat and emit deafening sounds.
The Buikwe LC5 Chairperson, Jimmy Kanaabi acknowledges that they have been receiving numerous complaints from factory workers, urgently seeking their intervention.
However, the factory management has always denied access to leaders, preventing them from personally assessing the truth of the workers’ grievances, particularly regarding the alleged substandard working conditions.
Kanaabi says many workers have lost hands and legs but the government has chosen to remain silent.
“This hazardous situation poses a significant risk to their safety, as their bodies are vulnerable to damage. And even in cases where the factory is unable to conceal the truth, the management ensures that the police reports are written in their favour to minimize expenses. The reality is that the lives of workers in almost every factory here at Buikwe are at risk,” Kanaabi says.
These claims paint a disturbing picture of a system in which the welfare and safety of workers are compromised for the sake of financial convenience and profit.
Our efforts to engage with the Tembo steel factory management have not yet gotten any response hence the delay in clarification about these troubling accusations.
Various reports indicate that Tembo steel factory has strong backing from powerful and ruthless individuals with significant influence within the state.
The perception is that the influential association shields them from facing consequences for their actions. This connection makes it exceptionally challenging to hold the factory.