Key stakeholders from the private sector, government, civil society, and development agencies from across the East African Community (EAC) and beyond have called for the dismantling of policy bottlenecks, building regional value chains to drive inclusive, sustainable industrialisation.
This was during the 2nd Annual Regional Industrialisation Conference (RIC2025), which kicked off on Tuesday at Kampala Serena Hotel, ushering in three days of high-level dialogue, cross-border networking, and strategic policy discourse aimed at building a resilient and competitive industrial ecosystem in East Africa.
Opening the conference, Stephen Asiimwe, CEO of Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), underscored the critical importance of policy alignment and institutional coordination across the region.
“This conference is set to help us create an enabling environment for policy harmonisation, to come up with ideas that will enhance trade, investment, and competitiveness in the region,” said Asiimwe.
“With Somalia’s entry into the East African Community (EAC), we now stretch from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic. This expansion is not symbolic—it’s a strategic gateway to continental trade and industrial transformation.”
Markets, Not Borders: Kagingo Urges Shift from Protectionism
Sarah Kagingo, the Vice Chairperson of the PSFU Board, made a powerful case for embracing integration and deeper collaboration within the EAC and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“East Africa’s markets are small, and soon, our local shelves will saturate. Protectionism won’t help us grow. Interlinked regional markets will,” she stated. “Let’s leverage AfCFTA’s 1B+ consumers to unlock industrial growth.”
Kagingo urged regional economies to align in key sectors, including agriculture, energy, minerals, and technology, to foster cross-border value chains.
“On sustainable industrial growth, we urge companies and business associations to align with the triple bottom line—people, planet, and profit—and ensure compliance with environmental, social, and governance (ESG),” she added.
“These principles are fast becoming global benchmarks on which international capital pegs investment decisions. Markets are already pivoting in that direction. Governance, anchored in transparency and accountability, should guide business operations.”
She challenged business leaders to reflect on their practices: “How do you treat your people? What measures have you adopted to prevent environmental degradation? Are you the manufacturer who dumps waste into water bodies? Prospective business partners do not need your permission to scrutinise your operations.”
Agriculture as the Industrial Bedrock
David Wazemba, Country Director at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), stressed the foundational role of agriculture in driving industrialisation.
“We are proud to be part of a system that ensures improved seed systems, fertilisers, irrigation, and agro-processing to reduce post-harvest losses,” he said. “Agriculture, when modernised, is directly linked to sustainable industrial growth.”
Showcasing Regional Innovation
A recurring message across sessions was the urgent need for harmonised regulations, infrastructure investment, and regional financing mechanisms.
Annet Ssemuwemba, Deputy Secretary General of the EAC, presented the EAC Industrialisation Strategy, with ambitious goals: raising manufacturing’s contribution to 25% of regional GDP by 2032, increasing value-added content in exports to 40% and growing intra-EAC manufactured exports from 5% to 25%.
“To realise our ambitions, we must focus on building strategic regional value chains and strengthening institutional capacity for effective policy design and coordination,” Ssemuwemba noted.
From the private sector, Rwabogo Businge, the General Manager of Operations at Mukwano Industries, gave a candid take on the cost of disjointed policies. “We are one region, yet we’ve had to build five separate factories—one in each EAC country—just to survive. That is not efficiency,” he said. “Harmonised policies in financing, tariffs, energy, and trade are critical if the region is to thrive.”
Rwabogo also highlighted the benefits of backward integration, noting Mukwano’s engagement with over 150,000 farmers in the sunflower, maize, and soybean sectors. He stressed the need for improved railway infrastructure to optimise supply chains.
Unlocking Regional Financing
Dr. Ezra Muhumuza Rubanda, Executive Director of the Uganda Manufacturers Association, proposed establishing a Regional Development Bank—funded by member states and the private sector.
“Our vision for regional industrial transformation will remain a dream unless we dismantle the barriers to trade and investment dividing our region,” Rubanda said. “A self-reliant financing mechanism can power transformative industrial projects without overreliance on external lenders.”
Despite current hurdles, Rubanda remained optimistic, citing regional manufacturing growth in 2024 ranging from 7.3% to 23.2% of GDP across EAC partner states.
Curbing Illicit Trade and Strengthening Market Integrity
Eng. James Kasigwa, Executive Director of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), reassured stakeholders of stronger enforcement capacity, noting that illicit trade continues to undermine industrial growth.
“Illicit trade affects consumer safety, investment confidence, and regional integration. With our tripled budget, we are now better equipped to curb it,” Kasigwa stated.
Julius Byaruhanga, PSFU’s Director of Policy and Business Development, emphasised the damage caused by counterfeit agro-inputs worth over UGX 90 billion, which compromise food security and productivity.
“Illicit trade goes beyond money-making. It undermines the environment, consumer safety, and industrial competitiveness. All actors must rise to the challenge,” he said.
Government Partnership and Market Expansion
Joshua Mutambi, Commissioner for Processing and Marketing at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives, reiterated the government’s commitment to working with the private sector.
“Markets have been negotiated regionally, but we still have low intra-trade. We urge the private sector to make use of these opportunities within the EAC,” he said.
Former Agriculture Minister Hon. Victoria Sekitoleko, now a lead advocate at the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance, called for value chain-based industrialisation.
“If we’re talking industrialisation in the region, the way to go is value chains. Currently, at Uganda Agribusiness Alliance, our value chain is onions and garlic, especially since much of the garlic consumed today is imported,” she said.
She urged government support for technical capacity in value addition: “We need to add value to our agricultural products. This is where I urge the Ministry of Trade to support because value addition is a more technical stage, which some of our farmers may not be able to undertake on their own.”
Industrialisation in the Era of AI
Prof. Charles Kwesiga, Executive Director of Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), addressed the intersection of industrialisation and technology.
“Artificial Intelligence is reshaping every aspect of our lives—from daily routines to entire industries. While its potential is vast, developing countries still face significant challenges before widespread adoption,” he observed, drawing from his own experiences.
Expanding Financial Access for Women and Underserved Regions
Ruth Biyinzika, Project Coordinator of the GROW Project, spotlighted efforts to expand financial access to women entrepreneurs. “This financial year, we’re expanding the intermediaries—commercial banks and now also MFIs and SACCOs—because we realised there are 30 districts in Uganda with no banks at all,” she explained.
“We also realised there are districts we had not given any loans to, and that women in those places were struggling to reach banks. So, we’re onboarding eight more financial institutions.”
The conference was organised by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), the conference is being held under the theme “Enhancing Policy Advocacy for Sustainable Regional Industrial Growth.” With over 500 delegates expected and several high-level discussions ahead, this year’s conference is set to shape the region’s industrial trajectory for years to come.
The conference venue later transformed into a vibrant regional exhibition hub, showcasing innovative products, services, and technologies from across East Africa. Exhibitors included private enterprises, government agencies, and development partners. The exhibition served as a networking engine, facilitating partnerships among investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.
