Uganda is seeking to attract more Irish investors by preparing investment-ready projects and promoting technology transfer, as Ireland pledges to sustain its cooperation with the country in education, health and agriculture.
Mags Gaynor, Ireland’s Ambassador to Uganda and Rwanda, made the commitment during a meeting with Col. Edith Nakalema, head of the State House Investors Protection Unit, where they discussed Uganda’s investment opportunities and prospects for expanding economic cooperation.
Gaynor said Ireland would continue supporting Uganda’s development, citing existing programmes in teacher development, health and climate-smart agriculture, including initiatives in the Karamoja subregion.
She said Irish-supported education programmes had included annual visits by groups of Ugandan teachers to Ireland, alongside efforts to strengthen learning communities.
“In terms of climate-smart agriculture, we see that they’ve invested a lot in education, especially in learning communities in Karamoja. They’ve invested a lot in teacher development,” Gaynor said.
However, the ambassador did not announce new funding amounts or specific investment projects during the meeting.
The discussions come as the government seeks to address barriers that can discourage foreign investors, including the cost of conducting feasibility studies before determining whether proposed projects are commercially viable.
The National Planning Authority (NPA) has uploaded projects under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) to an electronic portal linked to the State House Investors Protection Unit, enabling prospective investors to examine available opportunities.
Hamis Mugendawala, senior manager for Population and Social Development Planning at the National Planning Authority (NPA) said the government had established a Project Preparation Facility (PPF) to finance preliminary assessments and feasibility studies, helping develop bankable projects before investors commit their money.
He said the arrangement was intended to reduce the financial burden on investors who previously had to undertake initial project assessments themselves.
“Now, all that has been taken over by government to do preparation of projects, such that when an investor comes, he just looks at the different portfolios of projects with all the necessary information and the market, such that they can make informed decisions,” he said.
The portal provides information on projects across government programmes, including expected rates of return and incentives available to investors. The NPA is also working with the State House Investors Protection Unit to direct prospective investors towards opportunities matching their interests.
The government hopes the approach will reduce the cost of evaluating investment opportunities and make it easier for investors to compare projects before deciding where to put their money.
Nakalema said Gaynor had expressed interest in mobilising Irish investors following discussions about Uganda’s investment environment and available opportunities.
“She has promised that she is now going to mobilise many Irish investors. Soon we shall have our tent full of Irish investors,” Nakalema said.
She said some prospective investors had previously lacked sufficient information about Uganda’s investment procedures but were becoming more familiar with the country’s investment environment.
“They are now understanding the investment ecosystem of our country, and they are more interested in sharing technologies in agribusinesses,” she said.
Technology transfer in agribusiness could offer opportunities to improve agricultural production and strengthen the competitiveness of Ugandan enterprises. However, the discussions did not establish how many Irish investors were expected, the value of prospective investments or when any new projects might begin.
Ireland’s existing cooperation with Uganda has included support for education, particularly teacher development and learning communities in Karamoja, as well as health and climate-smart agriculture programmes.
Nakalema commended Ireland for maintaining its diplomatic presence and supporting development programmes in the country.
The proposed expansion of investment cooperation will ultimately depend on whether the prepared projects attract investors and whether the anticipated partnerships translate into concrete financial commitments, technology transfers and operational businesses.