The Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema, has reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to safeguarding and supporting foreign investors, saying the government is determined to maintain investor confidence at the highest level.
Col. Nakalema delivered the assurance during a meeting with members of the Netherlands–Uganda Trade and Investment Platform (NUTIP) at SHIPU offices in Kampala. The engagement brought together key government agencies, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Trade, Uganda Investment Authority, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Uganda Registration Services Bureau, and Kampala Capital City Authority.
She said SHIPU was established to guarantee safety and confidence for investors operating in Uganda.
“Collaborating with government Ministries, Departments and Agencies to maintain investor confidence levels in Uganda at an all-time high is the raison d’etre of SHIPU. This move was and still is the President’s reassurance to investors,” she said.
Col. Nakalema noted that by choosing Uganda, investors had selected the best destination for business growth. “Uganda was consistently named Africa’s top investment destination by AIM UAE in both 2023 and 2024 and also won the investment catalyst award at the Go Global Awards in 2023,” she said.
She also praised the Netherlands for its contribution to Uganda’s agricultural development through the long-running “Best Farmers” agribusiness study tour.
“It is only sensible that Uganda, as an agricultural economy, would seriously consider partnerships in order to gain from the opportunities to commercialize agriculture here,” she said.
Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Bouwe-Jan Smeding, welcomed the engagement and said such meetings help resolve barriers affecting investors. “Businesses will only thrive if stakeholders know how things are done,” he said, noting that disputes and bureaucratic challenges still discourage potential investors.
Smeding highlighted the strong economic ties between the two countries. “The Kingdom of the Netherlands is the biggest source of Foreign Direct Investment in Uganda,” he said.
Officials from government agencies restated Uganda’s commitment to improving the investment climate.
The Director of Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, Moses Kaggwa, said the economy is expanding rapidly and inflation remains below 4 percent. “It’s good to be in Uganda at this time when we are seeing the takeoff of this country,” he said.
He added that the government’s Tenfold Growth Strategy aims to raise Uganda’s GDP from USD 62 billion to USD 500 billion by 2040.
On behalf of the Ministry of Trade, Cleopas Ndorere said Uganda has actively secured regional and international markets to support business expansion.
“We have negotiated markets in and around Uganda and with the market, it makes trade possible,” he said.
NUTIP board member Isaac Mugerwa said the association, formed in 2013, now has 75 members working to strengthen trade and investment between the two countries. He commended SHIPU for quickly resolving one of their long-standing concerns.
Investors also expressed frustration over being shuffled between government offices. In response, URA’s Ms. Julian Sabiiti said the tax authority had established a Stakeholders Relations Office to address such issues.
The meeting ended with a renewed commitment from both sides to strengthen cooperation, improve investor experiences, and accelerate Uganda’s economic growth.
