Uganda's President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni asked President Uhuru Kenyatta one of the most unexpected questions during the two leaders’ joint address to the press in Mombasa on Wednesday.
Museveni asked his host what had happened to the famous paper milling factory at Webuye, famously known as Webuye Pan Paper in Bungoma County.
“Webuye is on the way to Bungoma and when I was going to university, Kenya had built a paper mill there, near a place called Turbo. From Webuye you go to Turbo. Now I don’t know what happened to that paper mill,” he asked President Museveni.
“Eeeeh, it collapsed, (shying off) we are trying to revive it,” replied the Kenyan Head of State.
Museveni said that due to lack of a Paper miller in Kenya, his government is now forced to use millions of dollars every year to import paper from Finland.
“Imagine I am buying paper from Finland. Finland is a place which is so cold that a tree takes 120 years to grow. In Uganda pine trees take 7 years they are already mature, but I am buying paper from Finland. Why not buy it from Webuye?" he paused.
Museveni arrived in the country on Wednesday, March 27 for a two-day State visit.