Uganda takes centre stage at the Roosevelt Africa Trail Summit in New York

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What could be the largest single coffee deal in Uganda’s history was one of the outcomes of two days of high-level engagements in New York City early this week, when Ugandan officials joined delegates from Kenya and South Sudan, and US partners under the banner of the Roosevelt Africa Trail Initiative.

A partnership with U.S.-based Kahawa 1893 (whose products are stocked in over 1,500 US retail stores) to form the Roosevelt Africa Safari Coffee was announced, which could unlock up to 450,000 tonnes of Ugandan coffee. Uganda currently exports about 500,000 tonnes of coffee annually, making it Africa’s top coffee exporter. Roosevelt Africa Safari Coffee will be launched next year in March at the Harvard Business School.

Uganda will also soon host the christening of a rhino named after President Roosevelt, part of a new conservation effort spearheaded by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Roosevelt Africa Trail, and the Theodore Roosevelt Association.

Tendo Nagenda, and Joshua Sentongo at the Roosevelt Africa Trail Summit in New York on Tuesday (Dec. 9). (Courtesy)

The Roosevelt Africa Trail initiative aims to leverage the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt’s 1909-1910 expedition to create a heritage tourism route following his path through East Africa, and involving parks, the River Nile and historical sites.

“The New York summit was the culmination of a collaboration between the Uganda Tourism Board and the Uganda Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the Theodore Roosevelt Association, the Theodore Roosevelt Centre at Dickinson State University, and the diplomatic corps of Kenya, South Sudan, and Egypt,” said Prof. Jonathon Earle, Director of African History & Expedition - Roosevelt Africa Trail, whose retelling of Roosevelt’s journey sparked the initiative.

Uganda was represented by Kwoba Godfreya, Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Dr Jackline Nyiracyiza Besigye, Acting Commissioner, Monuments & Museums, Dr James Musinguzi, Executive Director, Uganda Wildlife Authority, and Celia Nabeta, Minister Counsellor, Uganda Mission in New York.

Kenya was represented by Godfrey Juma, Trade/Commercial Attaché, while Cecilia Adeng, Permanent Representative of South Sudan, led her country’s delegation.

Day One was hosted at the Permanent Mission of Uganda to the United Nations, where delegations from Uganda, Kenya, and South Sudan outlined a joint working framework for Trail countries.

A panel discussion titled ‘The President and the King’, featuring Andrew Roosevelt (a descendant of Theodore Roosevelt) and Prince Nicholas Basamula (great-grandson of Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa), was held on Day Two at the Explorers Club.

Prince Nicholas Basamula, Great Grandson of H.M Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa II & Mr. Andrew Roosevelt, a descendant of President Theodore Roosevelt. (Courtesy)

Moderated by Prof. Earle, the discussion revisited the 1909 meeting between Roosevelt and the young Kabaka Daudi Chwa, exploring how the encounter reshaped Roosevelt’s perceptions of Africa and influenced his later political decisions.

One of the sessions saw a delegation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology present immersive XR + AI tools, including the ‘Roosevelt Africa Virtual Trail’, which will be launched next year during the USA’s 250th independence celebrations.

Tendo Naggenda, nephew of the late Senior Presidential Advisor, John Naggenda, and a former Vice President of both Disney and Netflix, presented ‘Roosevelt Encounters Africa’, a documentary that captures Roosevelt’s journey and its effect on modern conservation and cultural diplomacy.

He emphasised that the strength of the initiative ultimately depends on how well the story is told, highlighting the critical role of compelling storytelling in driving engagement, commerce, and cross-continental cultural impact.

Nabeta said that the initiative will serve as a lasting cultural and economic bridge between Africa and the US She noted that heritage, when strategically developed, becomes a powerful economic infrastructure.