Ugandan diaspora encouraged to fund local projects, attract tourists

KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni has urged Ugandans living abroad to invest in local projects and leverage their global networks to draw more tourists to the East African nation.

Museveni’s call came Saturday during a meeting with a 25-member delegation from the NRM Diaspora Cadres Initiative, including Boaz Byayesu Kabururu and Richard Kyabihende Nkuru from the United States.

At State House Entebbe, discussions centered on encouraging Ugandans abroad to channel remittances into productive enterprises. The president suggested investments in low-cost housing near industrial parks like Namanve, Mukono, Kapeeka, and Mbale, which employ thousands of workers facing accommodation challenges.

“These industrial parks are capturing big populations, and low-cost houses would help us so that these people just walk to their workplaces,” Museveni said.

The diaspora team proposed launching cooperative investment schemes, real estate ventures, and small and medium-sized enterprises to tap into Uganda’s fast-growing sectors. David Matanda, a member of the delegation, highlighted smart saving methods such as fixed deposit accounts and investments in stock markets.

“All those are wonderful ideas, because treasury bills are secure money, where the government borrows from the public and then gives you interest, for sure. So, this is a smart move,” Museveni noted.

Beyond investment, the delegation pledged to identify North American markets for Ugandan products like coffee, vanilla, tea, crafts, and agricultural produce. They aim to create direct trade channels, an approach Museveni described as a step toward export-led industrialization. Brian Kwesiga, a former president of the Uganda North American Association, shared that he had secured a license to import alcoholic beverages into the U.S.

To boost tourism, the group committed to increasing Uganda’s visibility through digital marketing, diaspora-led tours, and partnerships with travel influencers. Brenda Nangasha requested land to build state-of-the-art lodges in national parks, believing these would attract more visitors and counter negative publicity.

Museveni acknowledged tourism’s economic significance. He encouraged the diaspora to entice more people to visit Uganda, emphasizing the country’s favorable climate and food.

The president officially recognized the NRM Diaspora Cadres Initiative, tasking it with coordinating all future diaspora engagement efforts. Team leader Byayesu described the endorsement as a “significant milestone” in formalizing the diaspora’s contributions to national development.

The meeting underscores the Ugandan government’s renewed commitment to involving its diaspora in national development and global advocacy. The endorsed team is expected to begin implementing its action points immediately, in collaboration with key ministries and agencies.