Owned by Irene Basil, a Rwandan entrepreneur based in the United States, the factory is poised to play a pivotal role in the country's industrial growth.
Basil chose Muhanga as the site for the factory due to its proximity to her hometown and the more affordable land prices compared to other industrial zones.
"I am driven to contribute to the development of my home country, especially my native place," she shared in a recent interview.
The factory spans four sections, with production already underway for toilet paper. Once fully operational, the facility will produce a variety of products, including toilet paper rolls, laundry soap, sanitary pads under 'Pure' brand, and corrugated boxes. The toilet paper section alone can produce over 800 packs daily, each containing ten rolls.
The soap production unit is nearly complete, with 80% of the work finished. It is expected to produce up to 24 metric tons of laundry soap daily, with raw materials imported from Indonesia and India. The plant is also focused on sanitary pad production, becoming the first factory in Rwanda to manufacture them.
"Our capacity is set to produce up to 200,000 pads in an 8-hour shift and 500,000 pads in a 24-hour shift with ten pads packaged together,' said Anir Kumar, the plant manager.
Kumar emphasized the scale of the operation, noting, "This factory has been under construction for the last two years. We are now 99% complete. The final steps involve installing machines for soap and corrugated box production, which will be operational in two months."
The factory's infrastructure is designed to accommodate a wide range of products, with raw materials sourced from countries including China, Egypt, India, and Russia.
The sanitary pad production line will rely on imported materials such as PP films and pulps, while the corrugated box unit will provide packaging solutions for a variety of products.
"We want to reach every village and improve the hygiene and quality of life for women," Kumar added, underscoring the factory's commitment to quality and its potential impact on public health.
With the factory's opening, Rwanda's manufacturing sector is set to see a significant boost.
The new facility will reduce the country's dependence on imports and provide much-needed employment opportunities.
Over 100 permanent jobs and more than 80 temporary jobs are expected to be created.
The construction of the factory is set to cost $30 million due to the expansion of the product range beyond the initial plans, which originally focused on only soap and sanitary products.
Théophile Niyitegeka
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/inside-30-million-sanitary-products-manufacturing-plant-in-muhanga
