Uganda is preparing to overhaul its export development strategy by shifting its focus from opening international markets to fixing domestic supply chain weaknesses, with Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) Chairman Odrek Rwabwogo unveiling a second phase of reforms aimed at building a more competitive export economy.
Speaking at the launch of the committee’s 2026 Half-Year Report and preparations for the International Buyers Week at Kampala’s Sheraton Hotel, Rwabwogo said four years of implementing Uganda’s export strategy had demonstrated that attracting buyers alone was not enough if exporters could not consistently fulfil international orders.
“When we began in March 2022, we had no idea how difficult it was to move one kilogram or one tonne of a product from the farm to the processor, transporter, certifier, financier and finally to the market,” he said. “We have realised that while we have been dealing with the branches of the tree, the real challenge lies in the roots.”
Rwabwogo said the committee’s first phase concentrated on improving market access, strengthening quality standards, addressing infrastructure bottlenecks and expanding access to affordable financing for exporters.
Although progress has been made in securing market representation, improving standards and advancing key legislation on food safety and agricultural chemicals, implementation has often been slowed by institutional delays.
Among the major constraints, he highlighted Uganda’s infrastructure deficit, particularly energy, warning that achieving President Yoweri Museveni’s ambition of growing the economy to US$500 billion within 14 years would require a dramatic increase in electricity generation.
“A US$500 billion economy requires at least 35,000 megawatts of power at affordable tariffs of between three and five US cents per kilowatt hour. Today, Uganda has less than 2,000 megawatts.
We need solar, hydro, nuclear and every available source of energy if we are to industrialise at the pace we desire,” Rwabwogo said.
The committee is now pivoting to what it calls PACEID 2.0, centred on building regional aggregation centres across the country to consolidate agricultural production, improve storage, drying, cooling and logistics, enabling exporters to supply international buyers consistently.
Under the proposal, at least 18 regional aggregation centres will be established in areas with comparative production advantages.
These facilities will provide post-harvest handling services, cold storage, warehousing and quality management, reducing losses while improving Uganda’s ability to meet export contracts.
Rwabwogo argued that consistency, rather than production alone, determines competitiveness in international markets.
“Consistency builds credibility. Credibility attracts customers. More customers lower production costs through scale. That is how successful export economies are built,” he said.
Beyond physical infrastructure, the second phase will also prioritise data collection and value chain analysis to identify where Uganda captures the greatest economic value.
He noted that sectors such as cotton and coffee continue to earn relatively little because the country exports raw materials instead of focusing on higher-value activities such as fabric manufacturing, roasting, blending, grinding and packaging.
“The money is not in exporting lint or green coffee. The value lies in weaving, dyeing, roasting, blending and packaging. Those are the parts of the value chain we must deliberately protect and incentivise,” he said.
Rwabwogo also called for stronger farmer training and sector-wide certification systems, warning that poor agricultural practices by a few producers could jeopardise Uganda’s reputation in international markets.
He thanked government ministries, development partners and private sector exporters for supporting the reforms, expressing confidence that sustained investment in export infrastructure and industrial value chains would eventually lift Uganda’s per capita income beyond US$4,000, creating a stronger domestic market and accelerating industrialisation.