Uganda and Somalia will review progress on bilateral commitments made under their Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) at a meeting in Mogadishu from October 20 to 23, 2026, as the two countries seek to strengthen trade, investment and economic cooperation.
The mid-term review, scheduled to take place at the Airport Hotel in the Somali capital, comes a year after the commission’s second session in Kampala and ahead of its third full session, which the two countries agreed to host in Mogadishu in 2027.
During the October 2025 meeting in Kampala, the two governments signed three memoranda of understanding covering security, education and immigration management. The talks were co-chaired by John Mulimba, Uganda’s former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation, and Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, Somalia’s Minister of Education.
The two sides also directed their civil aviation authorities to review the Bilateral Air Services Agreement. They further agreed to operationalise a joint investment and business council to address non-tariff barriers and implement the Kampala Declaration on Trade, Tourism and Investment.
The upcoming meeting will assess progress on these commitments and identify priority actions ahead of the 2027 session.
Organised by Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its embassy in Mogadishu and the Regional Economic Cooperation Department, the event will run under the theme, “Harnessing Trade, Tourism and Investment Opportunities between both Countries and beyond”.
Beyond the diplomatic review, the accompanying business forum seeks to translate political goodwill into practical commercial partnerships, including trade deals, distribution agreements and joint ventures.
Government officials, investment promotion agencies, tourism operators, manufacturers, exporters and development partners are expected to participate.
For much of the past two decades, Uganda-Somalia relations have been shaped by security cooperation. Uganda was the first country to deploy troops to the African Union mission in Somalia in 2007 and has remained a leading troop contributor through successive missions, including the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
Both missions have supported Somali security forces in efforts to combat the armed group al-Shabaab.
Ugandan officials are now seeking to give trade and investment a more prominent role in the bilateral relationship. More than 20,000 Ugandans are employed in Somalia, while Somalia’s admission to the East African Community (EAC) in 2024 has created additional opportunities for regional trade and economic integration.
Despite the potential, trade between the two countries remains relatively modest, although Uganda’s exports to Somalia have grown significantly in recent years.
According to UN Comtrade data, Uganda’s exports to Somalia reached $6.78 million in 2024, more than double the $2.75 million recorded in 2023. In 2020, Uganda exported goods worth $676,000 to Somalia.
Uganda’s leading exports to Somalia in 2024 included tobacco products valued at $2.55 million, aircraft and parts worth $1.2 million, and wood and wood products valued at $528,470.
Other exports included machinery, electrical equipment, beverages, furniture, vehicles, coffee, tea, medical apparatus and dairy products.
Trade in the opposite direction remains limited. Somalia exported goods worth $35,400 to Uganda in 2021, compared with $671,000 in 2016.
Somalia also accounts for a small share of Uganda’s overall export market. Uganda’s total exports were valued at $8.04 billion in 2024, with the United Arab Emirates, Kenya and Hong Kong among the leading destinations.
By comparison, Kenya, which shares a long border with Somalia, is estimated to export goods worth about $110 million to the Somali market annually, highlighting the potential for Uganda to expand its commercial presence.
The Mogadishu forum will focus on agro-industrialisation, coffee and tea, tourism and hospitality, health and medical supplies, education, and industrial products from Uganda’s National Enterprise Corporation (NEC).
The industrial segment is expected to cover machinery, logistics support and defence-related industrial goods.
Somali buyers are expected to explore opportunities to source Ugandan fresh produce, including avocados and pineapples, as well as grains, maize, wheat and cassava flour, long-life milk, milk powder, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, processed coffee and tea.
Organisers have also identified opportunities in oil, gas and minerals, particularly gold, alongside higher education and vocational training.
The forum is intended to connect Ugandan suppliers with Somali buyers and facilitate commercial partnerships that could expand market access for businesses in both countries.
The opening day will feature ministerial addresses from both countries, the inauguration of the joint exhibition and policy discussions on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), customs procedures, visa requirements and barriers to trade and travel.
The second day will focus on company presentations, pre-arranged business-to-business matchmaking sessions and a town hall meeting involving customs, trade and tourism regulators.
The third day will feature a public and trade exhibition, including coffee and tea cupping sessions, alongside site visits in Mogadishu for the Ugandan delegation.
Participation and exhibition stalls will be free for accredited Ugandan delegates, with stalls allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Delegates will, however, be required to pay a $60 visa fee. The Ugandan embassy in Mogadishu will assist with visa processing and security clearance.
Uganda Airlines operates direct flights between Entebbe and Mogadishu, while Ethiopian Airlines offers an alternative route through Addis Ababa.
The Ugandan embassy is negotiating discounted Uganda Airlines fares of approximately $450 for economy class, down from $520, and $850 for business class.
Accommodation options for delegates range from $90 per night at NAC Hotel to $710 at Decale Airport Hotel.
As the two countries prepare for the mid-term review, the meeting offers an opportunity to assess the implementation of existing agreements while identifying practical ways to increase trade, attract investment and strengthen commercial ties ahead of the next Joint Permanent Commission session in 2027.
