President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni officially inaugurated the Royal Milk Enterprises Factory in Nalukolongo, Kampala, on Wednesday.
The president emphasized the importance of local production in driving economic growth and ensuring food security, while urging entrepreneurs to prioritize value addition for exports.
Founded in 1995 by Hajji Buruhan Kigoye, Royal Milk Enterprises began as a small dairy business in Masindi District, Bunyoro Sub-region.
Today, the factory processes 200,000 litres of milk daily, sourced from 25 collection centres across Uganda.
During the event, President Museveni expressed his gratitude to Bunyoro farmers for embracing commercial farming, a key message of his government.
He praised Hajji Kigoye and his family for their dedication and noted that Uganda’s milk production stands at 5 billion litres annually. He urged producers to focus on value-added products like powdered milk for export to take advantage of international markets.
“We need to meet external market requirements. Liquid milk is heavy and costly for exportation, but if you process it into powdered milk, it becomes lighter and less expensive,” Museveni advised, stressing the economic advantages of transitioning to long-life products like Ultra Heat Treatment (UHT) milk.
The President further noted that while Uganda produces over 5 billion litres of milk annually, local consumption remains low at 800 million litres, leaving a surplus of over 4 billion litres.
He called for a focus on external markets to absorb this surplus, highlighting the opportunities for international trade.
In addition, President Museveni acknowledged the efforts of Hajji Kigoye’s children, led by Executive Director Saleh Kigoye, in continuing and expanding their father’s legacy in the dairy industry.
He pledged government support to assist the company in acquiring an Ultra Heat Treatment plant to boost production and create more employment opportunities for youths.
The launch was also attended by Balaam Barugahara, Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, who commended the Kigoye family for improving upon their father’s vision.
He emphasized the importance of youth engagement in Uganda’s economic development and urged young people to seize opportunities in the money economy.
H.E. Jan Sadek, the European Union Ambassador to Uganda, highlighted the significance of Royal Milk’s achievements, noting the company’s strides in value addition and job creation for Ugandan youths. He acknowledged the role of the EU’s Yield Fund in supporting agro-businesses like Royal Milk.
“Royal Milk is a homegrown Ugandan company making strides in value addition, transforming milk into high-quality products. This is the kind of enterprise that drives real growth,” Ambassador Sadek said.
Executive Director Saleh Kigoye reflected on the company’s journey, thanking the government for initiatives like the Parish Development Model (PDM), which has supported small-scale farmers and boosted milk production.
He also appealed for increased collaboration between the government and the private sector, emphasizing the need for infrastructure like a UHT plant to further enhance production and market reach.
The event was attended by officials from the Dairy Development Authority (DDA), Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), and dairy farmers from across Uganda.
