UIA woos French investors as firms target $4b Uganda investment
Mukiza said Uganda needed to attract more investment in agro-industry and increase value addition to its agricultural products.
Mukiza said Uganda’s investment framework allows foreign investors to own 100% of their companies and repatriate profits. (Credit: Barbra Kabahumuza)
The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) has called on French investors to tap into opportunities in Uganda as French companies are projected to invest more than $4b in the country by the end of 2027.
UIA director general Robert Mukiza said the investment opportunities included agro-processing, renewable energy, waste management, sanitation, digital services and finance.
Mukiza made the remarks on Monday during the launch of the second edition of the French Week Uganda 2026 in Kampala.
The French Chamber of Commerce Uganda (FCCU), which organised the event, said there are currently 40 French companies represented in Uganda and 79 members.
The French Week will be held on September 19 and 22 under the theme “Green Transformation” and will bring together French and Ugandan companies, government officials, investors, development partners and other stakeholders.
Mukiza said Uganda needed to attract more investment in agro-industry and increase value addition to its agricultural products.
He cited coffee, saying opportunities existed in roasting, processing, packaging, cold-chain facilities and traceability.
He also identified green energy as an area with investment opportunities, including transmission and distribution, mini-grids, energy storage, electric mobility, clean cooking and carbon projects.
Mukiza said water, waste management and sanitation were also areas where French companies could invest.
He said digital and financial services presented further investment opportunities.
Mukiza said Uganda’s investment framework allows foreign investors to own 100% of their companies and repatriate profits.
He added that the UIA One Stop Centre enables investors to access services including licences, approvals, work permits, tax registration and land-related information.
“Foreign and domestic investors are treated equally under Ugandan law,” Mukiza said.
He also said UIA has serviced industrial land at the Kampala Industrial and Business Park in Namanve and other industrial parks across the country.
Leroy said Uganda had an opportunity to deliver on commitments made at international forums and attract investment in green sectors. (Credit: Barbra Kabahumuza)
Leroy said Uganda had an opportunity to deliver on commitments made at international forums and attract investment in green sectors.
She said green economy investments could create jobs and that renewable energy could help businesses reduce costs.
Leroy said Uganda remained vulnerable to climate change, particularly in agriculture, and called for investment in green energy and agriculture.
She said digitalisation could help farmers access information, commodity prices, markets and other services.
Leroy said French institutions in Uganda, including the French Embassy, the French Treasury, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Proparco and the FCCU, were working with Ugandan institutions and businesses.
She said AFD had provided technical assistance to the National Planning Authority to refine its public investment strategy, including incorporating climate change into risk assessment and exploring green financing solutions such as green bonds and carbon markets.
Leroy said the French development finance group was also working with Ugandan financial institutions, including Uganda Development Bank, Centenary Bank, dfcu Bank and Prime Microfinance, to provide more affordable financing.
She said the financing was being channelled to entrepreneurs, including farmers, with support targeting women and young people.
Leroy also cited support for private investors through credit facilities and Proparco investments.
She said Proparco was supporting investment in waste management and energy production in the sugar sector.
Happiness Daher-Ebhohon, the general manager of the French Chamber of Commerce Uganda (FCCU), said French Week provides a platform for the business community, Government and other stakeholders to discuss decarbonisation, the green economy and digitalisation of agriculture.
She said the themes are in line with the long-term and innovative partnership France and Uganda seek to build.
She said investment in the green economy could create jobs and accelerate economic growth, while renewable energy could help businesses reduce their operating costs.
Daher-Ebhohon also emphasised the importance of digitalising agriculture, saying farmers can benefit from access to information, commodity prices and markets, as well as improved tracking of agricultural products.
She said the French team in Uganda, comprising the Embassy, French Treasury, French Development Agency (AFD), Proparco and FCCU, is working to support green finance, affordable financing and private-sector investment.
Daher-Ebhohon urged French companies to invest more in areas where Uganda has strength, while building partnerships that create opportunities for Ugandans through skills development and employment.
Grace Muliisa, the managing director and chief executive officer of Ecobank Uganda, said green transformation required capital, technology, innovation and partnerships.
Muliisa said agriculture remained central to Uganda’s economy and the livelihoods of millions of people.
She said technology, clean energy, better infrastructure and innovative finance could improve productivity and resilience in agriculture.
Muliisa said Ecobank’s presence across 32 African countries and its fully fledged banking operation in Paris enabled it to connect businesses, investors, markets and partners across Africa and internationally.
William Fillet, the managing director of Rubis Energy Uganda, said the company was investing in renewable energy and other solutions supporting decarbonisation.
Fillet said Rubis Uganda, through a joint venture with Solarise Africa, was developing solar energy solutions for businesses and institutions.
He cited an 80-kilowatt solar installation for KSUB Hospital and a one-megawatt project for Royal Van Zanten, a flower farm in Mukono, expected to be delivered by the end of 2026.
Fillet said some Rubis service stations, as well as the company’s headquarters and depot, had been solarised.
He said Rubis was also supporting electric mobility through its collaboration with Zembo by providing battery-swapping infrastructure within its service station network.
The French Week will include a golf tournament at Uganda Golf Club on September 19 and a Business and Economic Forum at the Uganda Business Facilitation Centre in Kampala on September 22.
The forum will focus on green energy, decarbonisation, digital finance and agricultural sustainability.