Pakistanis in Uganda encourage investors to tap strategic opportunities

_______________

The Pakistani community in Uganda has urged fellow investors to explore strategic opportunities, emphasising sectors like trade, manufacturing, and technology as engines for mutual growth.

Speaking at the Pakistan 78th Independence celebrations at Kampala Prents last week, Muhammad Hassan Wazir, the High Commissioner, called upon Pakistanis back home to come and add value to the materials in Uganda.

“They should take advantage of the conducive environment here, I tell them it is more than that, come and add value to the raw materials in Uganda,” he said

Wazir added that the current trade relationship between Pakistan and Uganda, as it stands, Pakistan imports goods worth $44m (approx. sh156.6b) while Uganda exports goods worth $38m (Approx. sh135.2b), and there is need to grow these figures while exploiting key areas like pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, health, among others.

“Over 10,000 Pakistanis have been living in Uganda for decades, and many of them have set up factories creating over 20,000 jobs in the areas of agriculture, pharmaceuticals and health. There is a need to increase with more investors to come,” he explained.

Chief guest 3rd Deputy PM Lukia Nakadama handing over an award to Iran Ambassador in Uganda, Majid Saffar in Uganda during the 78th independence celebration at Kampala Parents on Friday. (Photos by Aloysious Kasoma)

Chief guest was Lukia Nakadama Isanga, the third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without Portfolio. She asked the Pakistan community in Uganda to encourage potential investors to come and add value to the raw materials available.

“We are sister countries and we have a strong partnership, we have a gap the areas of pharmaceuticals and health, if they come to invest here, they will create employment. We have oil and gas, ICT and services, including real estate, all these are grey areas to invest in,” she said.

Nakadama added that Uganda has huge deposits of minerals like copper, iron ore and gold.

Over the past decade, trade between Pakistan and Uganda has gradually evolved from a modest base into a relationship that is beginning to attract more structured attention.

The Chairman of the Pakistan Association in Uganda pointed out that in the mid-2010s, Uganda actively sought to attract Pakistani investors, highlighting opportunities in pharmaceuticals, textiles, steel, food processing, and marble.

“At that stage, trade volumes remained low, and much of the engagement was exploratory, with both governments emphasising the need to unlock untapped potential across strategic sectors. By the early 2020s, bilateral trade had started to grow, though it remained unbalanced. Between June 2022 and June 2023, total trade stood at about $42.5m, with Uganda enjoying a trade surplus,” he said

Uganda’s exports to Pakistan were valued at roughly $12.5m in 2023, led by vegetables, cotton, tea, and spices, while imports from Pakistan stood at about $3.4m in 2024, dominated by pharmaceuticals, textiles, vehicles, and machinery.

On the other hand, Pakistan imported over $23m worth of Ugandan goods, with agricultural commodities forming the bulk. This trend reflected Uganda’s comparative advantage in primary products and Pakistan’s role as a source of manufactured goods.

In January 2025, Uganda and Pakistan held their first-ever political consultations in Kampala, signing a memorandum of understanding to strengthen trade and investment ties.

Discussions centred on agro-processing, mineral development, ICT, and education, with Uganda proposing the creation of a joint commission to drive this partnership.