Commercial Diplomacy

Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Take Centre Stage as Uganda Charts Path to a USD500 Billion Economy

Owen Benjamin Lekuni

Kampala, Uganda

Kampala, Uganda – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its Department of Regional Economic Cooperation (REC), held a four-day Retreat on Economic and Commercial Diplomacy (ECD) Implementation with renewed commitments to position Uganda’s foreign missions as key drivers of economic transformation and the country’s ambitious Tenfold Growth Strategy, under the theme, “Strengthening Institutional Collaboration for Effective Economic and Commercial Diplomacy (ECD) Implementation,” the retreat brought together officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Uganda’s Missions abroad, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), development partners and the private sector to review progress, strengthen collaboration and align priorities for Uganda’s economic agenda.

Speaking at the retreat, Hon. Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Regional Cooperation) emphasised that Economic and Commercial Diplomacy must deliver measurable economic outcomes rather than remain a ceremonial undertaking. He stressed that Uganda’s foreign missions are increasingly serving as the country’s commercial representatives and should prioritize securing markets for Uganda’s strategic exports, including coffee, milk, fresh fruits, fresh foods and matooke. “The first-order objective of Economic and Commercial Diplomacy is the promotion of Ugandan products abroad,” Hon. Kasolo said, adding that every diplomatic engagement should contribute to wealth creation, job creation and the realisation of Uganda Vision 2040 and the Government’s manifesto.

He further underscored the link between the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Economic and Commercial Diplomacy, noting that while PDM organises production at household level, Uganda’s missions abroad must secure markets, investment and value-addition partnerships for farmers and producers.

Ramathan Ggoobi, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury (PS/ST), applauded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for convening the retreat, describing Economic and Commercial Diplomacy as a frontline instrument for Uganda’s economic transformation.

He noted that Uganda’s total export earnings have reached US$18 billion, but emphasized that the country must transition from exporting primary commodities to value-added products. “Our exports must grow to about half of our GDP. Foreign Direct Investment must scale to a new magnitude, and tourism inflows must multiply dramatically,” Ggoobi said. He identified value addition, technological sophistication and market expansion as the next frontier for Uganda’s growth, while calling for missions abroad to become agile economic delivery units with clear performance targets. He also highlighted the importance of leveraging the Ugandan diaspora, strengthening macroeconomic predictability, building a world-class production base and positioning Uganda as a continental gateway for trade and investment.

Vincent Waiswa Bagiire, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described ECD as “a sound strategy for advancing Uganda’s economic interests.” He commended Uganda’s Missions abroad for their achievements and urged them to shift focus from activities to measurable outcomes. “We must now move beyond activities to outcomes,” he said, emphasising the need for evidence-based reporting, stronger documentation of opportunities and improved Mission work plans. Bagiire also highlighted ongoing reforms, including the establishment of the ECD Operations Hub, which is expected to strengthen coordination between Uganda’s missions, the Ministry headquarters and other government agencies.

The retreat also featured presentations from various MDAs. Maj. Gen. David Kasura Kyomukama, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, highlighted Uganda’s export-ready agricultural value chains, noting that the country’s dairy sector now produces more than 5.3 billion litres of milk annually, making it one of the fastest-growing dairy industries on the African continent. Throughout the retreat, participants agreed that stronger inter-agency collaboration, accountability, strategic communication and results-based implementation will be critical to transforming Uganda’s diplomatic missions into engines of trade, investment and economic growth, positioning Economic and Commercial Diplomacy at the centre of the country’s journey towards a US$500 billion economy.