AGP Executive Report

Aquaculture & Skills: A new aquaculture profile shows how intensive Nile tilapia production in Kenya is pushing managers to focus on efficiency, profitability and biosecurity, not just fish numbers. BRICS & Finance: The 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi highlighted Global South priorities, including trade and financial connectivity, as members explore domestic payment systems. Health Workforce: WHO warns nearly 1 in 3 Ugandan health workers want to leave or quit, citing vacancies and shortages that could worsen service delivery. Steel & Mining Linkages: Steel & Tube seeks to build a domestic iron ore supply chain in Kanungu, aiming to process ore into steel billets and cut import dependence. Pension Returns: NSSF declared a record 22.53% interest rate for 2025/26, crediting Sh5.44trn to members and reigniting debate on Uganda’s savings market. AFCON Infrastructure: Kabalega International Airport in Hoima handled its first passenger flights, giving a practical readiness test ahead of AFCON 2027. Food Security Risk: East Africa faces a deepening food crisis as El Niño threatens harvests, raising the question of whether response systems can move as fast as early warnings. Local Manufacturing Pressure: Uganda’s tile makers want higher taxes on imports, saying cheap foreign products are squeezing local producers. Oil Spill Readiness: Uganda is working with Denmark to strengthen Lake Victoria oil spill preparedness as commercial production nears. Currency Production: Bank of Uganda is studying feasibility of printing banknotes locally to reduce outsourcing costs and boost security capacity.

Tooro Succession Watch: Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal is preparing to install Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as Omukama on Sept. 29, with President Museveni expected as chief guest—after a succession dispute that left a complicated legacy. Tourism & Industry Push: Museveni urged Ugandans to tap the $11.6tn tourism market, linking growth to digital visibility and AI, while warning that destroying wetlands threatens the sector’s future. Skills for Clean Energy: Makerere University Business School says demand for green energy and clean cooking training in Teso is overwhelming—500+ applicants for 100 slots—showing strong pull for solar, briquettes and improved cookstoves. Textiles Expansion: Fine Spinners is investing an extra $5m (Shs19.7bn) in new machinery to expand local textile value addition and target wider African markets. Housing Financing: Government called for innovative financing to unlock long-term capital for Uganda’s housing and construction boom, highlighting options like PPPs and green bonds. Fertilizer Controversy: Farmers protested a “free” fertilizer programme, questioning costs, allocations and supplier quality after claims of a 30% beneficiary contribution. Gold Export Gaps: URA says it struggles to trace Uganda’s gold exports back to production sources, pointing to weak records in artisanal mining and opaque refiner sourcing. Clean Cooking Agenda: AfDB urged clean cooking to be treated as a core priority in Africa’s energy transition, citing major health and economic costs of biomass reliance. Oil Spill Readiness: Uganda is discussing oil spill preparedness for Lake Victoria with Denmark as commercial oil production nears.

Textiles Investment: Kampala’s Fine Spinners pumps an extra US$5m (Shs19.7bn) into new machinery to expand output, deepen local value addition and target wider African and export markets. Housing Finance: Government calls for innovative, long-term financing—PPPs, green bonds, impact investing and municipal bonds—to tackle Uganda’s housing and construction funding crunch. Fertilizer Controversy: Farmers question a “free” fertilizer push, saying they’re asked to pay Shs54,000 per 50kg bag under a 70% subsidy model, raising concerns on allocations, distribution and supplier quality. Pharma Localisation: Stakeholders warn Uganda’s medicine import dependence (over 80%) is shrinking local manufacturing and research, urging stronger local drug production and a dedicated research push. Oil & Gas Oversight: URA struggles to trace gold exports from refiners back to mining sources, highlighting reporting and regulation gaps in a major export earner. Roads & Transport Tech: MTN MoMo enables mobile-money toll payments on the Kampala–Entebbe Expressway as Uganda moves toward wider electronic toll collection. Energy Transition & Health: AfDB urges clean cooking as a priority for Africa’s energy transition; Uganda Cancer Institute rolls out automated voice calls to monitor patients between treatments. Local Industry Supply Chain: Dietsmann trains 20 Ugandan PPE suppliers to meet standards and compete for opportunities in Uganda’s growing energy sector. Regional Mobility: UAE lifts Ebola travel restrictions on Ugandan nationals after monitoring, while DRC and South Sudan measures remain.

Ebola & Mobility: The UAE has lifted Ebola travel and entry restrictions on Ugandan nationals after Uganda completed the monitoring period, though precautions remain for DRC and South Sudan. Oil & Revenue Oversight: URA says it struggles to trace where Uganda’s gold exported by refiners comes from, citing gaps in how artisanal production is recorded and monitored. Local Industry Supply Chains: Dietsmann ran a four-day PPE supplier workshop for 20 Ugandan firms, including Buliisa businesses, to boost compliance and competitiveness for Uganda’s energy supply chain. Digital Health for Industry Workers: Uganda Cancer Institute presented an automated voice-call system that checks cancer patients for side effects between visits, helping doctors intervene earlier. Transport & Payments: MTN MoMo now lets motorists pay tolls on the Kampala–Entebbe Expressway via mobile money at selected lanes, as Uganda moves toward wider cashless tolling. Road Safety: Centenary Bank’s Rotary Club of Mapeera launched a road safety drive with helmets and reflector jackets amid rising crash deaths. Clean Cooking Finance: Pride Bank and MOGAS Uganda launched LPG clean-cooking financing, reporting a 40% cooking-cost cut after switching from charcoal. Security & Youth: Police in Soroti detained a student over 22 rounds of live ammunition as youth gangs surge in the East Kyoga region. Road Infrastructure Risk: Missing and faded road signs on Gayaza Road are blamed for dangerous driving and crashes.

Oil & Energy Projects: Kenya’s South Lokichar commercial oil push gets a boost as Gulf Energy confirms the arrival of a $20m GW70 drilling rig at Mombasa, targeting first commercial production in December 2026 and ramping from 20,000 to 50,000 barrels per day. Clean Cooking Finance: Pride Bank and MOGAS Uganda launch a clean cooking financing drive, offering 100% financing for LPG installations after a reported 40% cut in cooking costs at a school kitchen. Agribusiness Credit: Bank of Uganda pushes affordable lending for commercial agriculture, with the Agricultural Credit Facility already putting about Shs1.35tn into loans for 11,000+ beneficiaries. Industrial Policy & Exports: Finance minister Henry Musasizi urges firms to turn wealth-creation and affordable credit into export-ready businesses, stressing value addition, storage, logistics, standards and export financing. Competitiveness Forum: At the 17th National Competitiveness Forum, government shifts focus from funding production to building scalable enterprises linked to producers, processors, financiers and buyers. Mining Governance: Former finance minister Maria Kiwanuka is appointed acting chair of the Uganda National Mining Company as government moves to address governance and management challenges. Infrastructure Oversight: UPDF Engineering Brigade updates Parliament on AFCON 2027 facility projects. Food Security Pressure: IGAD warns 40.3m people across six states face acute food insecurity, with Uganda among the affected. Clean Energy & Climate: Equity Bank and My Tree Initiative launch a two-year drive to plant 200,000 trees in schools by 2027. Transport Costs Transparency: Authorities flag car bond extortion and unclear charges around digital number plates, despite a gazetted fee.

Food Security: IGAD warns over 40.3 million people across six states (including Uganda) face acute food insecurity in 2026, driven by conflict, drought and shrinking humanitarian funding—pushing the region toward renewed famine risk. Nile Basin Power/Water: Egypt seeks funding for 36 Nile Basin projects spanning hydropower, transmission lines and water schemes, with potential knock-on benefits for upstream partners including Uganda. Green Jobs & Enterprise: Graduation of 106 green entrepreneurs from Uganda’s GreenTech Accelerator signals a practical pathway to jobs and climate-linked production, with emphasis on scaling women and youth participation. Banking for Climate Action: Equity Bank launches a two-year Green Schools Programme to plant 200,000 trees nationwide, starting with Nakanyonyi SS in Mukono. Mining Governance: Former finance minister Maria Kiwanuka appointed acting chair of the Uganda National Mining Company, tasked with strengthening governance and a recovery programme. Industrial Finance Push: Finance minister Henry Musasizi urges firms to turn government wealth-creation and affordable credit into profitable, export-ready enterprises. Artisanal Gold Formalisation: Euro Gold Refinery signs an MoU with Kakoka artisanal miners to support licensing, infrastructure and safer, traceable gold production. Labour Protections: Supreme Court judge calls for amending labour laws to better protect workers in Uganda’s informal economy.

Agri Innovation Funding: Heifer International Uganda’s AYuTe Africa Challenge Season 5 awarded Sh205m catalytic financing to young innovators scaling practical solutions for farmers and agri value chains, with 836 applications showing growing appetite for tech-led farming. Poultry Business Growth: In Arua, youth poultry farmers cut costs by about UGX25.2m (US$6,425) through collective action, training and market linkages—an example of how organised agribusiness can strengthen small producers. Regional Horticulture Push: Nine Eastern African countries launched the Horticulture Council of Eastern Africa to cut trade barriers, improve logistics and cold-chain, and tackle post-harvest losses estimated at 30%-80%. Fuel Storage for Industrial Resilience: Uganda’s Kampala Storage Terminal in Mpigi will hold 320m litres and aims to more than double national fuel storage, boosting supply security for industry and transport. Higher Education for Jobs: Uganda’s Muni University won recognition under the Africa Higher Education for Transformation Prize, with a $500m push for universities to redesign learning around employers and turn research into jobs and enterprise. Fire & Emergency Capacity: Uganda and Denmark are exploring a G2G cooperation framework to upgrade firefighting, fire prevention and emergency rescue training and equipment.

Local Manufacturing & Health Diplomacy: UNAIDS boss Winnie Byanyima defended meeting Kenya’s President William Ruto at UNGA, saying she backed his push for local production of medical products while also raising Kizza Besigye’s continued detention after his reported abduction. Industrial Capacity & Quality Systems: Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation says it has secured ISO 9001:2015 certification, aiming to modernise operations and compete for more printing and publishing work locally and abroad. Financial Sector Security: Uganda’s centralised fraud-sharing platform now records about 600 fraud incidents monthly, up from zero at launch, signalling faster alerts and blocks across banks. Energy & Health Infrastructure: Uganda is investing Shs 180bn in PET scan and nuclear medicine capacity at the Uganda Cancer Institute, with the first PET machine expected to be functional by year-end. Extractives Governance: Government urged stronger transparency in minerals, oil and gas after extractive revenues rose to over Shs 663bn. Labour Justice: Stakeholders want more judges at the Industrial Court of Uganda and a national minimum wage. Agri-Industry & Trade: The 32nd Uganda International Trade Fair spotlights practical solutions from refrigerated transport to digital market links for Ugandan products. Security & Community: Mpigi communities are adopting clean cooking technologies like biogas and energy-saving stoves to cut deforestation pressure. Culture & Public Safety: Afrigo Band icon Moses Matovu was attacked in Kampala and died at Kibuli Hospital; police say investigations are ongoing.

Urban Planning Enforcement: Uganda’s Lands and Housing ministry says it will start identifying “outlived” buildings in Kampala for redevelopment, tightening physical planning standards and raising tough questions on property rights. Standards & Consumer Protection: UNBS seized about 79 tonnes of underweight cement (1,077 bags) in a Kampala crackdown, citing repackaging and short-measurement risks to buyers. Energy & Industry Pipeline: Africa Energy Week (Oct 12–16, Cape Town) spotlights energy security and investment as the continent pushes to unlock oil and gas for industrialisation. Climate-Smart Water & Farming: Egypt and AUC launch a Nile-focused training-of-trainers programme for African professionals on water management, climate-smart agriculture and the water-energy-food ecosystem link. Agribusiness Costs: Busia poultry farmers say high feed and drug prices are pushing them to buy inputs in Kenya, where starter crumbs, vaccines and treatments cost less. Electric Mobility Finance: Africa Go Green Fund doubles support for Spiro to $36m to expand electric motorcycle battery swapping in Uganda and Rwanda. Digital Health Access: Anthropic partners with OpenEvidence to bring free AI medical search to about 100 low- and middle-income countries, including Uganda. Food Trade Risk: The EU is considering tighter pesticide residue rules that could block more African agricultural exports. Public Finance Pressure: Uganda’s public debt rose to Shs143.92tn by June 2026, while the FY2027/28 budget was cut to Shs79.22tn as borrowing is reduced.

TVET & Skills Recognition: Uganda’s TVET Act 2025 is opening doors for workers to get formal certification through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), so skills built in garages, workshops and worksites can count in the formal job market. Public Finance: Uganda’s public debt has climbed to about Shs143.92 trillion (end-June 2026), pushing the debt-to-GDP ratio to 54.3%; the government is also trimming the 2027/28 budget to Shs79.22 trillion to reduce borrowing. Sugar Imports: MPs are drafting a law to regulate sugar imports after concerns that uncontrolled cheap imports are hurting local millers and farmers. Food & Agriculture Stress: El Niño-linked dry spells are worsening malnutrition, with Karamoja’s acutely malnourished children projected to rise by 25% by October. Water for AFCON: NWSC briefed Museveni on preparedness for 2027 AFCON water supply in Hoima, Masindi and airport areas. Trade Finance for Commodities: Afreximbank and ATDC signed a $500m facility to boost African commodity trading, logistics and warehousing. Energy/Industry Links: Uganda’s TVET and skills push also aligns with wider industrialisation themes raised at UNGA, including energy and food security cooperation.

Logistics & Trade Costs: Kampala–Dar warehouse investors are seeing better prime warehouse rent yields than Nairobi (13% in Kampala vs 9.5% in Nairobi in H1 2026), while small online sellers complain cross-border shipping can eat up half the product price, squeezing regional e-commerce. Regional Integration: East Africa CEOs and officials in Nairobi urged faster implementation of integration commitments, warning that non-tariff barriers and regulatory fragmentation keep costs high and limit value-added manufacturing. Health & Local Industry: Africa CDC’s Jean Kaseya called for local vaccine manufacturing as Ebola strains strain economies across Uganda and the DRC. Agribusiness & Climate-Smart Farming: World Bank’s UCSATP sorghum push is being stress-tested in Teso to check whether climate-smart technologies are truly improving resilience. Energy & Infrastructure: Uganda is weighing modern waste-treatment options to replace dumping near the Kampala Storage Terminal, as the terminal’s fuel-storage expansion ramps up. Finance & Business Environment: Bank of Uganda’s higher cash reserve requirement (13.5%) tightens lending conditions, while a court denied bail to a Byter Agriculture Uganda sales manager accused of Shs294.6m theft. Skills & Innovation: MTN Foundation Uganda opened a new innovation hub at Busitema University, and a Ugandan nurse is set for WorldSkills in Shanghai. Manufacturing & Construction Materials: Uganda joined a push for lower-carbon blended cement, aiming to cut construction emissions through procurement and standards.

Trade Finance & Logistics: Afreximbank and ATDC signed a $500m Global Credit Facility to finance purchase, aggregation and movement of African commodities, including logistics, warehousing and distribution—aimed at building sustainable trade corridors and boosting value-added processing. EV & Battery Swapping: Spiro secured an extra $18m debt facility from the Africa Go Green Fund to expand electric motorcycle deployment and battery-swapping infrastructure in Uganda and Rwanda, lifting AGG’s total commitment to $36m. Digital Payments: KCB will acquire a 22.23% stake in Pesapal, with Tanzania’s competition regulator disclosing the shareholding as KCB deepens its fintech push across East Africa. Agribusiness Resilience: Uganda urged coffee farmers to stay resilient as global prices face pressure from higher supplies and drought hits flowering and yields; July exports and earnings fell year-on-year. Insurance Market Growth: Uganda’s insurance industry sustained gross premiums above Shs1tn in the first half, with life insurance nearing half of total premiums as demand for long-term protection rises. Energy & Industry Dealmaking: African Energy Week 2026 in Cape Town is being positioned as a project-and-capital marketplace, with NJ Ayuk urging governments and investors to arrive ready to turn energy plans into deals. Security & Governance: Kitgum High Court dismissed a bid to compel the Electoral Commission to produce the voter register used in the 2026 parliamentary elections. Cyber Risk: Kaspersky warned of a new multi-stage malware campaign spreading via torrent trackers disguised as popular films, with victims reported across multiple countries including Uganda.

Digital Payments & Tech Transfer: Museveni met India’s outgoing High Commissioner Upender Singh Rawat, praising cooperation on a National Payment Switch, forensic science and technology transfer. Climate Mobility Investment: Spiro secured an extra $18m from the AfricaGoGreen Fund, lifting its commitment to $36m to expand electric motorcycles and battery-swapping hubs in Uganda and Rwanda. Agri-Value Addition & Exports: Equity’s 2026 trade mission showcased Uganda’s manufacturing and value addition, with investors touring Zigoti Coffee Works and other firms on financing and regional market access. Coffee Market Signals: MAAIF says coffee price declines are temporary, blaming higher global supply, while drought has cut quality and yields in key growing areas. Aquaculture Feed Debate: A report warns that by 2040 nearly half of wild-caught fish could be diverted to farmed fish and shrimp feed, depending on aquaculture species growth. Public Finance Watch: Bank of Uganda flags rising fiscal pressure as Uganda’s public debt hits Shs 137.4tn, with concern over crowding out private credit. Security & Trade Risks: Uganda suspended all defence cooperation with Turkey amid the Fred Lumbuye extradition dispute, with sources linking the move to Somalia-related stakes.

Fuel & Infrastructure: President Museveni says a Kenyan senator, Cyrus Jirongo, warned him in 2019 about Uganda’s fuel middlemen, pushing Uganda to later shift procurement and link up with Vitol in 2023; the comments come as Uganda builds the 320-million-litre Kampala Storage Terminal to strengthen fuel routes beyond Lake Albert. Agriculture Coordination: Uganda moves to break government “silos” in agriculture under CAADP, with ministries urged to coordinate for inputs, finance, processing and markets—not just production. Education Finance: Uganda’s 2026/27 higher education loan demand jumps 48.9% while only 2,790 of 10,615 applicants get funding, leaving many eligible students out. Human-Wildlife Conflict: Kagadi residents affected by chimpanzee attacks complain compensation is based on outdated land rates and ask for a review. Health & Access: An African trial finds eight-weekly HIV injections suppress better than daily pills for adolescents, with lower viral rebound. Regional Business & Trade: India’s exports to core BRICS markets rise 34% (to $19.9bn), led by a 39% jump to China. Energy Policy: Kenya defends its G-to-G fuel import model as a response to dollar shortages, rejecting wrongdoing claims. Climate Readiness: El Niño preparedness plan still awaits funding, leaving disaster response under-resourced.

Fuel & Trade Tensions: Kenya’s energy ministry defends the G-to-G fuel import deal after Museveni questioned intermediaries, saying the 2023 arrangement eased a US-dollar crunch and used credit terms with major suppliers. Oil Infrastructure: Uganda pushes fuel security with the Kampala Storage Terminal (320m litres) and a broader shift to alternative routes beyond Lake Albert. Agribusiness Prices: Government urges coffee and cocoa farmers to stay calm as farm-gate prices fall, blaming global supply shifts and weather. Climate Risk & Preparedness: El Niño response plans for floods and landslides are ready but still await funding, leaving limited pre-positioning capacity. Health & Access: An African trial reports eight-weekly HIV injections suppress the virus better than daily pills for adolescents, with strong preference for the less frequent dosing. Regional Regulation: EAC insurance regulators move toward common supervision rules to ease cross-border compliance. Waste & Cities: UN-Habitat lauds Kisii’s transformation of a dumpsite into a green park, spotlighting Africa’s mounting waste crisis. Water & Industry Support: Finance minister highlights major water and sanitation investments as a foundation for public health and production.

EAC Insurance Push: East African regulators (including Uganda) are moving toward common insurance supervision rules, adopting a harmonised core principles assessment template to ease cross-border compliance and strengthen consumer protection. Agribusiness Mechanisation: MAAIF has handed over 150 walk-behind power tillers to farmer groups to boost acreage and productivity, with government warning against treating equipment as personal property. Water for Production: Finance Minister Henry Musasizi outlined a Shs1.3trn water and sanitation push plus regional water-for-production schemes, linking clean water to public health and industrial output. Circular Economy Drive: Uganda’s Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga launched an EAC circular economy platform in Nairobi to coordinate waste policy and attract investment into recycling and resource-efficient industries. Fuel Pricing & Logistics Tensions: Uganda’s shilling slid nearly 6% as Bank of Uganda raised reserve requirements to 13.5%; meanwhile, Museveni’s remarks on fuel “middlemen” and his rejection of lake transport on Lake Victoria have thrown uncertainty on a Shs393bn logistics project. Skills & Jobs: Government plans to make lower-level TVET free to widen access to hands-on training amid youth unemployment. Food Safety in Karamoja: Consumers in Karamoja are questioning the safety of imported vegetables, citing limited information on farming chemicals and controls. Education in Albertine: TotalEnergies EP Uganda and World Vision handed over renovated classrooms and sanitation facilities in Buliisa, alongside teacher training and textbooks.