Trade minister inaugurates sugar industry stakeholders’ council
Mwebesa said the long-awaited body is critical for fairness and innovation in the sugar value chain.
David Bahati, the minister of state for Industry (front seat right), Trade minister Francis Mwebesa, Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, the minister of State for Trade, joined by other appointed sugar council members for a photo moment. (Photos by Ali Twaha)
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Trade minister Francis Mwebesa has inaugurated the first Sugar Industry Stakeholders’ Council as part of the efforts to implement the amended Sugar Act of 2025.
The inauguration, held at the Ministry of Trade headquarters in Kampala, brought together millers, out-growers, and government officials seeking to reset relations in the industry after years of tension and court battles.
Mwebesa said the long-awaited body is critical for fairness and innovation in the sugar value chain.
“The council has enormous responsibilities, from licensing mills and monitoring markets to arbitrating disputes between farmers and millers,” he said.
The council will be chaired by Rajbir Singh Rai. Out-grower representatives include Robert Atugonza, Elizabeth Mbeiza, and Joyce Santa Laker, while millers will be represented by Mayur Muljibhai Madhvani, Milan Dobaria Vithalbhai, and Ashish Monpara.
Rajbir Singh Rai receives instruments of power from Trade minister Francis Mwebesa as the new chairperson of the sugar council. 
The government representation comprises Dr Swidiq Mugerwa from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ramathan Ggoobi, permanent secretary, Ministry of Finance, and Lynette Bagonza, permanent secretary, Ministry of Trade.
The council, created under the amended Sugar Act of 2025, will serve a two-year term before new members are appointed. It will oversee key decisions such as approving new mills, developing a national sugar industry master plan, and setting mechanisms for pricing sugarcane and sharing proceeds from by-products.
Rajbir Singh Rai said the council will ensure value addition to all the by-products.
“We are the only country in the region that produces surplus sugar. The sector plays a key role in the economy through employment creation, taxes, exports and foreign exchange flows,” he said.
Cabinet, Mwebesa said, had instructed him to submit quarterly progress reports to track how effectively the council addresses the industry’s challenges.
David Bahati, the minister of state for Industry, said the sector currently produces about 700,000 metric tons of sugar annually, with 450,000 consumed locally and 250,000 exported.
The sector, he said, employs over 20,000 people directly and more than 150,000 indirectly, generating about sh500b in tax revenue and contributing 5% to national GDP.