Businessman Kimuli Urges Uganda Govt to Attract Italian Investors at Uganda–Italy Business Summit
Rome, Italy | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | Ugandan businessman Louis Kimuli has urged the government to attract Italian investors into coffee processing, manufacturing and mineral beneficiation, saying Uganda must move beyond exporting raw materials and capture more value from its products.
Kimuli said Uganda should use its strong trade links with Italy to attract industrial expertise, technology and capital that would enable local businesses to process and package products for export rather than leave much of the value addition to foreign markets.
“We are no longer just asking Europe to buy our raw beans; we are inviting Italian industrialists to come and roast, package, and process our coffee, milk, and minerals right here at home. Italy consumes a massive share of our coffee, and bringing that processing capacity to Uganda means real jobs for our youth and higher returns for our economy,” Kimuli said.
Kimuli made the remarks during the inaugural Uganda–Italy Business and Investment Forum in Rome on October 13–14, held under the theme ‘Unlocking Shared Prosperity’. The meeting brought together government officials, investors and private sector representatives to explore partnerships in agriculture, energy, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and other sectors.
Electricity key
The forum noted that attracting investors will require reliable electricity, affordable financing, suitable infrastructure and predictable regulations. Exporters must also meet European market requirements on product quality and supply-chain traceability.
Delegates discusssed how Uganda’s coffee exports generate billions of dollars annually, and how country is seeking to expand its share of the more lucrative processing and manufacturing stages of the supply chain.
Uganda exported 8.8 million 60-kilogramme bags of coffee, earning $2.4 billion in the year ending April 2026, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Italy is Uganda’s biggest coffee buyer, accounting for about a quarter of the country’s coffee exports, according to Uganda’s Commissioner for Coffee, Dr Gerald Kyalo.
The numbers underline the commercial opportunity for Italian investors to establish roasting, packaging and soluble-coffee production facilities in Uganda, closer to the source of the raw material.
The forum was also attended by Humphrey Asiimwe Rwakagiri, chief executive officer of the Uganda Chamber of Energy and Minerals; Kimoomi Alinda, executive director of the Uganda Free Zones and Export Promotion Authority (UFZEPA); Robert Mukiza, director general of the Uganda Investment Authority; and Diana Battaggia, head of UNIDO ITPO Italy.
Uganda’s investment pitch included a 1,031-square-metre production facility at Entebbe, presented to Italian investors by UFZEPA for value addition targeting Italian and wider European Union markets.
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