Entrepreneurs, experts all set for Pakasa Forum 2026

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Ugandan entrepreneurs struggling to survive in an increasingly competitive business environment will have an opportunity to learn from some of Uganda’s most progressive entrepreneurs and policymakers, including relevant ministers and enterprise development experts at this year’s Pakasa Forum.

The event is scheduled for November 21 at the Enterprise Uganda Centre of Business Excellence in Butabika, Kampala.

Sponsored by Vision Group, Enterprise Uganda, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Centenary Bank and Pearl Bank, the Pakasa Forum will be held under the theme: Opportunities and Ideas for Growing Businesses.

Through presentations, experience-sharing sessions and discussions, participants will be equipped with information on opportunities in government priority sectors under the agro-industrialisation, tourism development, mineral-based industrialisation, science, technology, and innovation (ATMS) framework.

Participants will equally receive tips for business success, tax incentives and tax compliance initiatives, the importance of enterprise development services and the benefits of collective investments.

The list of the 2026 Pakasa Forum speakers includes progressive entrepreneurs, ministers and experts whose brief profiles are below;

Sanjay Tanna: Minister of Trade, Industry and Co-operatives

Tanna’s contribution will be informed by his experience as both an entrepreneur and trade minister. A seasoned businessman and investor in eastern Uganda, he has spent years operating at the intersection of private enterprises, infrastructure development and community mobilisation.

He served two consecutive terms as an independent MP for Tororo Municipality between 2006 and 2016.

Tanna’s appointment as Minister of Trade, Industry and Co-operatives places him at the centre of Uganda’s industrialisation and trade agenda.

His ministry is responsible for promoting manufactured goods, diversifying trade, strengthening co-operatives and expanding markets for Ugandan products.

At Pakasa, he is expected to explain how entrepreneurs can position themselves to benefit from government priority sectors, particularly agro-processing, manufacturing, mineral development and trade.

Hajat Amina Mukalazi: Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development

Mukalazi brings experience in government policy, local content development and investment promotion. Before joining Cabinet, she served as head of the State House Local Content Unit and senior presidential adviser on local content and special duties.

She assumed her ministerial responsibilities in June this year, succeeding Evelyn Anite. Her portfolio places her at the centre of efforts to attract investment, strengthen investor confidence and ensure that Ugandan businesses benefit from major investment projects.

Her priorities include promoting value addition, supporting industrialisation, creating employment and encouraging partnerships between local enterprises and international investors.

She has also highlighted opportunities in emerging industries such as electric mobility, including partnerships that could benefit local manufacturers such as Kira Motors.

The exploration of natural resources, including lithium deposits, is another area of interest.

At Pakasa, Mukalazi is expected to explain how local entrepreneurs can position themselves to benefit from investment opportunities, government initiatives and partnerships with international investors.

Her presentation will be especially important for businesses seeking to become suppliers to large companies, access new markets, attract investment and participate in Uganda’s industrialisation programme.

John Musinguzi Rujoki: Commissioner General, Uganda Revenue Authority

Popularly known as the Tax Man, John Musinguzi Rujoki brings a combination of mathematical, financial and technological expertise to the Pakasa Forum.

Appointed Commissioner General of URA in March 2020 and reappointed in 2024, Musinguzi has overseen efforts to modernise tax administration, improve taxpayer identification and strengthen revenue collection.

His academic background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Makerere University and a master’s degree in computing and information systems from the University of Greenwich in the UK.

Before joining URA’s top leadership, he worked in finance and audit at the Special Revenue Protection Services, a unit involved in combating smuggling.

He later served as senior presidential adviser on ICT and investment matters and chaired the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda board.

His experience makes him particularly relevant to entrepreneurs grappling with taxation, business formalisation and regulatory compliance.

At the Pakasa Forum, he is expected to share valuable information on tax incentives and compliance initiatives.

Godfrey Byekwaso: Managing Director, Centenary Bank Uganda

With more than 26 years of experience in banking, financial management and microfinance, Godfrey Byekwaso brings a wealth of financial expertise to the forum.

He assumed leadership of Centenary Bank Uganda on July 1 this year, succeeding Fabian Kasi, who had led the institution for 16 years. Byekwaso’s career within the Centenary Group included serving as chief financial officer in Uganda from 2012 to 2023, before moving to Malawi, where he became deputy managing director in 2023 and managing director in October 2024.

During his leadership in Malawi, the bank recorded significant growth in 2025, with deposits increasing by 55%, assets by 46% and profit after tax by 168%.

Before joining Centenary, he worked with FINCA Uganda and FINCA International, gaining experience in microfinance and financial inclusion.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration from Makerere University and is a certified public accountant.

At Pakasa, Byekwaso is expected to share practical lessons on accessing credit, managing cash flows, maintaining financial records and building creditworthiness.

Barbara Ofwono: Founder, Victorious Education Services

Her story is an illustration of how identifying an unmet need and having the courage to pursue an idea can turn a modest investment into a thriving business.

Although she initially resisted the idea of becoming a teacher, her experience teaching Sunday School changed her outlook. She became concerned about how young children were treated and the limited attention given to early childhood education.

In 1999, she took the bold decision to establish a kindergarten with just 30 children and three employees in a three-bedroom bungalow at Old Kampala. She named it Genesis Campus.

What began as a modest educational venture has since developed into Victorious Education Services, comprising several campuses, including Anointed Campus in Ntinda, Miracle Campus in Bakuli, Divine Campus in Central Kampala, Ebenezer Campus in Mukono and Zion, an online campus.

At Pakasa, Ofwono is expected to share lessons on how entrepreneurs can turn personal passions into viable businesses, overcome financial and operational challenges and build institutions that can outlive their founders.

Yasin Katwere: Founder and Director, Success Motors

Katwere is another entrepreneur whose story demonstrates how professionalism, industry knowledge and calculated investment can transform a business idea into a substantial enterprise.

Armed with a degree in chemical engineering from Kyambogo University and a master’s degree in oil and gas from Houston, Texas, Katwere initially worked in offshore oil drilling operations in South Africa and the Gulf of Mexico from 2012.

He used the savings from his employment to venture into the automotive business, identifying an opportunity to professionalise a sector that was largely dominated by informal car brokers.

The business has since expanded to three branches, two in Kyambogo and another in Kireka, dealing primarily in vehicles imported from Japan. It employs approximately 200 Ugandans and has diversified into real estate, with the business empire estimated at about sh100b.

Dr Canon Gaster Lule Ntake: Founder, Ntake Bakery

Ntake’s entrepreneurial journey demonstrates how a modest family enterprise can develop into a diversified industrial business through persistence, innovation and investment.

In 1978, Ntake and his wife, Edith, established a small family bakery after identifying an opportunity in the confectionery market. They started by producing breakfast cakes using basic equipment before gradually expanding into bread production and other food products.

Over the years, the enterprise developed from a small bakery processing approximately 2kg of wheat flour daily into a diversified business with substantial manufacturing capacity.

Under his leadership, Ntake Group expanded into flour milling, edible oil refining, paper recycling, concrete batching and real estate development. Its operations include modern industrial facilities, with the group employing more than 2,500 Ugandans, according to information supplied for the forum.

The company also invested in a 300-tonne wheat milling facility and an edible oil refinery at Namanve Industrial Business Park. His experience offers an important lesson to entrepreneurs seeking to transition from small-scale production into industrial manufacturing.

Dr Benon Luggya: Founder, Maganjo Grain Millers

Luggya’s story is perhaps one of the clearest illustrations of the possibilities of entrepreneurship, particularly for people who believe that inadequate starting capital is an insurmountable obstacle.

From humble beginnings with capital as low as 2kg of groundnuts, his business empire has grown exponentially into a sh200b enterprise.

A former primary school teacher, Luggya ventured into business in 1979 after realising that his teaching income was insufficient to meet his family’s financial needs.

What began as a modest family business eventually developed into Maganjo Grain Millers, one of Uganda’s major grain-processing enterprises.

Today, the company operates production facilities in Maganjo and Jinja, has more than 30 distribution outlets countrywide and employs over 3,000 permanent and casual workers.

Mary Karyabashisha Odongo: Managing Director, Global Entrepreneurship Network Uganda

Odongo brings more than 25 years of experience in finance and management across the public and private sectors. As managing director of Global Entrepreneurship Network Uganda, she works towards strengthening the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by connecting entrepreneurs, investors, institutions and business support organisations.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Makerere University and is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the UK, as well as a certified public accountant in Uganda.

Her professional background also includes serving as director of finance and administration at Enterprise Uganda, where she contributed to strengthening the institution’s financial systems, human resource structures and administrative processes.

Dr Sarah Bimbona: Director, Makerere University Entrepreneurship And Outreach Centre

Bimbona brings an academic and practical perspective to entrepreneurship development, with experience in business research, enterprise incubation, training and mentorship.

She is the director of Makerere University’s Entrepreneurship and Outreach Centre and a lecturer in marketing and management.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Master of Science in Marketing from Makerere University, as well as a PhD in marketing and management from Monash University in Australia.

She has also pursued further training in digital education and project management. Through her work at the university’s entrepreneurship centre, Bimbona has been involved in supporting entrepreneurs to develop business ideas, strengthen their management capabilities and connect with opportunities for growth.

At Pakasa, she is expected to discuss existing funding and training opportunities available to businesses, including the importance of incubation and enterprise support programmes.

Charles Ocici: Director General, Enterprise Uganda

Ocici brings more than three decades of experience in business development, entrepreneurship training and enterprise management.

As the founding director general of Enterprise Uganda, he has been instrumental in building an institution that supports micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) through business development services, training, mentorship and advisory support.

Enterprise Uganda has built the capacity of more than 220,000 MSMEs across the country, helping entrepreneurs improve business management, financial literacy, corporate governance and strategic planning.

Ocici is also a founding leader of Enterprise Africa, an umbrella organisation bringing together 14 enterprise development institutions established under the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development initiative.

His professional experience includes working with international organisations and development partners, including the United Nations, World Bank and African Union, on entrepreneurship and business management issues.

At Pakasa, Ocici is expected to explain why business development services are essential for enterprises that want to survive and expand. His presentation will highlight the importance of business planning, mentorship, market research, financial management and professional advisory services.

He is particularly well-positioned to explain why entrepreneurs should not concentrate solely on raising capital while ignoring the management skills and systems required to sustain their businesses.