The Minister of State for Defence and Veteran Affairs (Veteran Affairs), Hon. Huda Oleru Abason, today officially commissioned the NEC-STREIT Armoured Vehicle Showroom in Abayita Ababiri, Wakiso District, on behalf of the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Jacob Oboth Oboth.
The showroom, developed under a joint venture between Uganda’s National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) and Streit Group, a leading global manufacturer of armoured vehicles, serves as a state-of-the-art facility to exhibit vehicles manufactured at the NEC-STREIT Assembly Plant in Nakasongola.
Speaking at the commissioning, Hon. Huda Oleru commended NEC and Streit Group for the strategic initiative, describing the facility as timely and beneficial for Uganda’s evolving security and industrial needs.
“This showroom is not only for the army and the police. It is for researchers, financial institutions transporting cash, humanitarian workers operating in insecure areas, and other sectors whose operations require secure mobility,” she said.
Exhibit vehicle manufactured at the NEC-STREIT Assembly Plant in Nakasongola
Hon. Huda highlighted the importance of partnerships like NEC-STREIT in enhancing Uganda’s self-reliance in defence and security technologies. She also noted the facility’s role in supporting the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) policy and fostering local industrial development through technology transfer and skills training.
She conveyed warm regards from Hon. Oboth Oboth, reaffirming the ministry’s full support for initiatives that position Uganda as a regional hub for defence production and innovation.
In his remarks, Lt Gen. James Mugira, Managing Director of NEC, stated that the showroom bridges the gap between production and customer engagement.
“This facility is part of our forward-looking marketing strategy. It provides security clients with an opportunity to inspect, interact with, and test our products before procurement,” Gen. Mugira said.
He elaborated on the range of vehicles currently manufactured in Nakasongola – including MRAPs (Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles), armoured ambulances, cash-in-transit vans, and specialised vehicles for riot control and border security.
Gen. Mugira also highlighted the partnership’s workforce development achievements, noting that over 100 Ugandans have been trained in advanced armoured vehicle manufacturing technologies.
Mr Guerman Goutorov, Chairman and CEO of Streit Group, praised the Government of Uganda for its commitment to industrial development and security innovation.
“Our partnership with NEC is not only about vehicle manufacturing—it’s about building local capacity, transferring global expertise, and investing in Africa’s security future,” Mr Goutorov said.
He revealed that the joint venture is exploring aerial surveillance technologies and drone-based security solutions to further bolster Uganda’s national defence framework.
The event was graced by a distinguished delegation comprising Maj Gen Apollo Kasita Gowa, Director of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC); Lt Gen Charles Okidi, Commander of the Air Force Base; Maj Gen Jack Bakasumba, the Chief of Joint Staff; senior representatives from the Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Service, and the Bank of Uganda; as well as key members of the private sector, including prominent businessman Dr Sudhir Ruparelia.
The NEC-STREIT joint venture was launched in 2019 and commissioned its first plant in Nakasongola in 2022. It remains one of only a few armoured vehicle production facilities on the African continent.
With the addition of the Wakiso showroom, NEC-STREIT now offers clients—ranging from national security agencies to private institutions—a centralised, accessible location to view its growing range of high-performance armoured vehicles.
NEC-STREIT is a public-private joint venture between Uganda’s National Enterprise Corporation (the commercial arm of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces) and the Streit Group of the UAE.
The partnership is focused on the design, assembly, and supply of armoured vehicles and related security solutions, built by Ugandan engineers with international technical support.
