Uganda has stepped up efforts to attract foreign investment and strengthen economic diplomacy by hosting a delegation of Chinese business leaders and industry representatives on a multi-sector investment and familiarisation tour across the country.
The visit, taking place under the Uganda–China Coffee Investment and Destination Initiative, runs from April 10 to April 23, 2026, and is coordinated by Uganda’s diplomatic missions in Beijing and Guangzhou.
The visiting delegation brings together executives and representatives from a range of Chinese companies operating in manufacturing, energy, agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure development. Among the participating firms are players from the industrial, agricultural, and cultural tourism sectors, reflecting a broad interest in Uganda’s emerging investment landscape.
As part of the programme, the investors are scheduled to tour several of Uganda’s industrial hubs, including the Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park, Liao Shen Industrial Park, and the Namanve Industrial Park. These visits are intended to provide firsthand insight into Uganda’s manufacturing base and ongoing infrastructure development projects, while identifying potential areas for joint ventures.
Government officials say the industrial park engagements are key to showcasing Uganda’s strategy of value addition, export expansion, and job creation through industrialisation.
The delegation will also engage with Uganda’s agricultural sector, with particular emphasis on coffee production and processing. Planned visits include cooperative organisations in the Ankole sub-region and processing facilities in western Uganda, where investors will observe the country’s coffee value chain from farm to export stage.
Authorities hope the engagements will unlock new opportunities for investment in agro-processing, branding, and international coffee trade partnerships.
Beyond industry and agriculture, the programme includes visits to some of Uganda’s most prominent tourism destinations. The investors are expected to explore Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Rwenzori Mountain ranges, and the Source of the Nile, among other iconic sites.
Officials say this is part of a broader strategy to position Uganda not only as an investment destination but also as a competitive global tourism hub.
Speaking during the engagement, Uganda’s Ambassador to China, Oliver Wonekha, said the visit reflects growing investor confidence and strengthened bilateral relations between Kampala and Beijing.
She said Chairman Yao is leading a group of about 40 prospective investors with interests spanning coffee, tourism, agriculture, minerals, science, technology, and innovation.
“He is the leader of the team of 40 prospective investors, both in the coffee industry, in tourism, agricultural industrialisation in general, mineral development, science and technology and innovation,” she explained.
She added that the current mission builds on a previous engagement that helped spark broader investor interest in Uganda.
“It is a collaborative trip that we had last year in May, something similar but this time bigger, because the friends who came last time told their friends, family and relatives about the beauty of Uganda and the prospect of doing business, partnering with us and supporting us in our programme,” she said.
