UIA defends UGX 255 billion request for 2026-27 fiscal year

KAMPALA, Uganda — The Uganda Investment Authority is requesting 255.1 billion shillings for the 2026-27 fiscal year to expand industrial parks and bolster investment promotion as the country seeks to fast-track its industrialization agenda.

Director General Robert Mukiza presented the proposal to the Parliament Finance Committee during a defense of the authority’s budget framework paper. The funding request targets three primary pillars: investment attraction and retention, the development of serviced industrial parks, and the enhancement of institutional capacity for both the agency and the private sector.

The agency’s plan includes the implementation of affordable agricultural financing, infrastructure maintenance in free zones, and digital investment facilitation. Additionally, the authority aims to support product certification for small businesses to improve access to regional and international markets.

Amos Kankunda, chairperson of the finance committee, praised the agency’s recent performance in driving value addition and job creation. Kankunda pledged the committee’s support for the budget, noting the importance of import substitution and increased government revenue.

We are very passionate about investments and the role the authority is playing, Kankunda said. He urged the agency to more clearly highlight its success stories, specifically in the growth of locally manufactured products and export expansion.

Committee member Emely Kugonza added that industrialization is the engine of Uganda’s economic transformation. She called for increased funding to ensure the agency can effectively add value to local raw materials.

Data from the agency suggests rising investor interest in the Ugandan market. During the 2024-25 fiscal year, the authority licensed 481 investment projects, an increase from 426 the prior year. These projects carry a projected capital value of $3.2 billion and are expected to create more than 53,000 direct jobs.