Kimuli interacting with Italian investors in Rome, Italy
Ugandan investor and entrepreneur Kimuli Louis has called on Italian industrialists to establish processing and manufacturing facilities in Uganda, saying local value addition could create jobs, strengthen domestic industries, and increase the country’s earnings from exports.
Speaking on the sidelines of the inaugural Uganda–Italy Business and Investment Forum in Rome, Kimuli urged Italian businesses to move beyond buying Uganda’s raw commodities and instead invest in processing coffee, milk and minerals locally.
“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.
His appeal comes as Uganda seeks to attract foreign investment into industries that can transform locally produced raw materials into higher-value products for domestic consumption and export.
The two-day forum, held in Rome on October 13–14 under the theme Unlocking Shared Prosperity, brought together government officials, investors, financial institutions and private sector representatives to explore opportunities in agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and other sectors.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, who led the Ugandan delegation, urged Italian investors to establish processing facilities in Uganda rather than continue importing the country’s agricultural produce in raw form.
Coffee offers a potential starting point for the proposed cooperation. Uganda exported 8.8 million 60-kilogramme bags of coffee in the year ending April 2026, earning $2.4 billion, according to figures cited by Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Despite the scale of the trade, Ugandan officials want the country to capture more value through activities such as roasting, packaging and industrial processing rather than relying predominantly on exports of green coffee beans.
Beyond coffee, Ugandan officials have identified opportunities in dairy processing, cocoa products, fresh produce, spices, aquaculture, cold-chain infrastructure and mineral beneficiation.
The Uganda Free Zones and Export Promotion Authority also presented Italian investors with a 1,031-square-metre value addition production facility at Entebbe.
“For prospective investors, these opportunities provide a base for manufacturing closer to raw-material sources while also giving Ugandan businesses access to technology, equipment and international distribution networks.
However, turning these proposals into viable enterprises will depend on financing, reliable infrastructure, access to skilled workers and the ability to meet the quality, traceability and sustainability requirements of export markets.” Kimuli added.
During the forum, Italian buyers also raised questions about Uganda’s preparedness for the European Union Deforestation Regulation, which affects coffee and other commodities entering the EU market. Uganda pledged to keep and uphold its end of the bargain.
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