UIA’s Mukiza Highlights $4.2bn French Investment Pipeline as Uganda Courts Green, Agro-Processing Capital

KAMPALA — Uganda is positioning itself to attract more than US$4 billion (about Shs15.7 trillion) in French investment by 2027, with the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) identifying value addition, renewable energy, agro-processing, digitalisation and sustainable infrastructure as key areas of opportunity.

UIA Director General Robert Mukiza said Uganda is particularly interested in investments that can transform locally produced raw materials into higher-value products, create employment and strengthen the country's productive capacity.

Mukiza made the remarks during the launch of the second edition of French Week Uganda 2026, organised by the French Chamber of Commerce Uganda (FCCU) in Kampala.

The 2026 edition is focused on green energy, decarbonisation and digital finance in agricultural sustainability, bringing together government officials, business leaders, investors, financial institutions and development partners from Uganda and France.

Mukiza: Uganda wants value addition

Mukiza said Uganda's investment strategy is increasingly centred on attracting capital that goes beyond the extraction or export of raw materials.

He highlighted agro-processing, particularly the coffee value chain, as one of the areas where French investors can play a significant role.

According to Mukiza, opportunities exist in coffee roasting, processing and packaging, as well as cold-chain infrastructure and traceability systems.

The objective, he said, is to enable Uganda to retain a larger share of the value generated from its agricultural commodities by encouraging investors to establish processing and manufacturing facilities locally.

The same approach, he noted, can be applied to other agricultural value chains where investment in technology, financing, logistics and market access can increase productivity and incomes.

French investment pipeline

Mukiza's remarks come against the backdrop of growing economic engagement between Uganda and France.

The UIA has previously cited a projected US$4.2 billion in French investment between 2024 and 2027, while around 40 French companies are already operating in Uganda across sectors including energy, transport, water, healthcare, digital technology and services.

Uganda's Ministry of Finance has also reported substantial French investment commitments, including more than €3.8 billion for the 2025–2027 period, alongside major investments associated with the country's oil and gas sector.

The figures underline the scale of investment opportunities being discussed between the two countries as Uganda seeks to diversify its economy and increase private-sector participation in development.

Green energy among priority areas

Mukiza also highlighted the opportunities available to investors in Uganda's renewable-energy sector.

These include electricity transmission and distribution, mini-grids, energy storage, electric mobility, clean cooking and carbon projects. 

The emphasis on renewable energy is consistent with the wider theme of French Week 2026, which is seeking to connect investment with Uganda's transition towards cleaner and more sustainable economic activity.

French Ambassador to Uganda Virginie Leroy said the discussions are focusing on decarbonisation, the green economy and the digitalisation of agriculture.

Leroy said climate-smart investment can contribute to employment creation while reducing operating costs, particularly within agriculture, which is increasingly exposed to climate-related risks.

UIA outlines investor facilitation measures

Mukiza also used the occasion to highlight Uganda's investment facilitation framework, pointing to measures designed to make it easier for foreign companies to establish and operate businesses in the country.

He said foreign investors are permitted to own 100 per cent of their businesses and repatriate profits.

Mukiza further highlighted the UIA One Stop Centre, which brings together a range of government services required by investors, including business licensing, approvals, work permits, tax registration and access to land information.

He stressed that foreign and domestic investors are treated equally under Ugandan law.

“Foreign and domestic investors are treated equally under Ugandan law,” Mukiza said.

The One Stop Centre is intended to reduce the time and administrative burden associated with setting up businesses by allowing investors to access multiple government services through a coordinated platform.

France backs agricultural digitalisation

Beyond physical infrastructure and financing, French-Ugandan cooperation is increasingly focusing on technology.

Ambassador Leroy said digital platforms can help farmers access information that was previously difficult to obtain, including commodity prices, market opportunities and connections with potential buyers.

For Uganda, where agriculture remains a major source of employment and household income, such systems could improve the links between farmers, financial institutions, markets and service providers.

The French side is also supporting efforts to strengthen climate-conscious public investment planning.

The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) is working with Uganda's National Planning Authority on public investment planning, including climate-risk assessment and mechanisms for green financing such as green bonds and carbon markets.

French development finance targets businesses

French development-finance institutions are also working with Ugandan financial institutions to expand access to financing.

AFD and Proparco, together with French partners, are supporting partnerships involving institutions including Uganda Development Bank, Centenary Bank, dfcu Bank and Prime Microfinance.

The financing arrangements are aimed at expanding access to affordable capital for entrepreneurs, including farmers, women and young people.

This is particularly important for smaller enterprises that may not have sufficient capital to adopt new technologies, expand production or participate in emerging green and digital markets.

Existing French-linked projects

The investment push is already reflected in renewable-energy projects being undertaken by French-linked companies in Uganda.

Rubis Energy Uganda Managing Director William Fillet said the company is expanding its renewable-energy investments through a partnership with Solarise Africa.

Projects include an 80-kilowatt solar installation at KSUB Hospital and a one-megawatt solar system at Royal Van Zanten flower farm in Mukono.

Rubis has also installed solar systems at selected service stations, its headquarters and depot.

The company is working with Zembo to promote electric mobility through battery-swapping facilities across its service-station network.

These investments illustrate the types of green technologies that French and French-linked businesses are seeking to introduce into Uganda's commercial environment.

French Week opens investment dialogue

The French Chamber of Commerce Uganda said the second edition of French Week 2026 will provide a platform for businesses, government agencies, financial institutions and innovators to identify practical areas for cooperation.

The programme includes networking activities, an economic forum and an awards gala.

The main activities are scheduled for 19 September at the Uganda Golf Course and 22 September at the Uganda Business Facilitation Centre (UBFC) in Kampala.

The Economic Forum will be held under the theme “Green Energy, Decarbonisation & Digital Finance in Agricultural Sustainability.”

FCCU General Manager Happiness Daher-Ebhohon said the initiative is intended to create practical partnerships around the green transition and agricultural digitalisation.

Ecobank Uganda Managing Director and CEO Grace Muliisa said the green transformation requires a combination of capital, technology, innovation and partnerships, particularly in agriculture.

Mukiza's investment agenda

For Mukiza and the UIA, the growing French interest presents an opportunity to align foreign investment with Uganda's broader industrialisation and job-creation objectives.

Rather than focusing solely on the volume of capital entering the country, the investment agenda places emphasis on what the investment produces, how much value is retained locally, the jobs created and the technologies introduced.

The focus on coffee processing, renewable energy, electric mobility, digital agriculture, cold-chain infrastructure and green finance reflects an effort to attract investments that can link Uganda's agricultural resources with technology, finance and international markets.

With the UIA projecting billions of dollars in potential French investment through 2027, Mukiza's message to investors is centred on Uganda's readiness to facilitate investment while encouraging projects that contribute to value addition, employment, technology transfer and sustainable economic growth.

The French Week discussions therefore provide another platform for Uganda to showcase investment opportunities while seeking to deepen its economic relationship with France in sectors that the government considers critical to the country's next phase of development.