Uganda has launched a bold campaign to unlock up to USD 5 billion( approximately shs18. 4 trillion) in trade and investment over the next five years through the Pearl of Africa Business Forum and Expo, which opened Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur.
The high-level forum, themed “Unlocking Uganda’s Business Potential,” brings together key Ugandan government officials, diplomats, and private sector leaders with Malaysian counterparts and investors to explore strategic partnerships across five priority sectors: agro-industrialisation, tourism development, oil and gas, science and technology, and mineral development.
Leading the Ugandan delegation is Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, accompanied by Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa, Agriculture Minister in charge of Animal Husbandry Bright Rwamirama.
Additionally, Uganda’s High Commissioner to Malaysia Amb. Betty O. Bigombe, Uganda Chamber of Commerce President Olive Kigongo, Senior Presidential Adviser on Exports Mrs. Susan Muhwezi, and Chief of Protocol Amb. Charles Ssentongo also graced the Expo.
Addressing delegates, Hon. Kasaija said, “Uganda has a conducive climate investment that supports the most important needs of investors across board, including the legal framework.”
Speaking on energy opportunities, Nankabirwa said Uganda continues to attract interest in the oil and gas sector.
“Our policy is not to export any raw materials, so there is plenty of investment opportunities in mineral processing,” she said. “Our iron ore is the best in the world, we have copper, oil, gold, several other minerals and are looking for investors in the sector,” she said.
The forum was officially opened by Yang Bhg Muhtar Hashim, Executive Director of the Chemical Industries Council of Malaysia, who praised the mutual trade potential and invited Malaysia to explore Uganda’s untapped investment landscape.
Amb. Bigombe hailed the event as a platform of promise. “Today is more than just a business forum; it is a bridge between nations, between opportunity and ambition, and between vision and action,” she said.
She described Uganda as “blessed with vast natural resources, a youthful and energetic population, and a stable and liberalised economy,” while positioning the country as the gateway to the 300-million strong East African Community and the broader COMESA region.
“Investors who choose Uganda will not just invest in one country; rather, they will access an entire regional market full of opportunity and potential,” she added.
Highlighting sectoral opportunities, Bigombe cited Uganda’s fertile land for agro-processing, its world-renowned national parks for eco-tourism investment, bankable petroleum projects like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), innovation in ICT, and rare earth mineral wealth.
To streamline investment, she said the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) operates a one-stop centre providing land access, tax advisory, licensing, and regulatory support. Uganda allows 100% foreign ownership in most sectors and offers incentives such as tax holidays, customs exemptions, and infrastructure support.
The two-day forum has attracted multiple private investors from both Uganda and Malaysia, opening new doors for bilateral partnerships.
