Tayebwa Lauds Africa Coffee Park as Tugume Targets 1 Million Coffee Tourists

Ntungamo — The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa has lauded the Africa Coffee Park in Rwashamaire, Ntungamo District, describing it as “a transformative investment set to redefine Uganda’s coffee story — from the farm to the world.”

Tayebwa, who visited the park while on the campaign trail in Ntungamo, said he was impressed by the scale and sophistication of the ongoing developments led by Inspire Africa Group.

“What I have seen here is not just a factory — it is the future of Uganda’s coffee,” Tayebwa said during the tour. “This is the kind of value-addition infrastructure that will drive our industrialisation agenda and uplift farmers across the country.”

He was received by Inspire Africa Group CEO Dr Nelson Tugume, who conducted him through the facility’s advanced processing chain, including the Wet Mill, Dry Mill, Spray Dry, Freeze Dry and Cosmetics production sections. Dr Tugume demonstrated the park’s new freeze-dry technology, which operates at –95°C to produce premium-grade instant coffee.

Coffee Tourism at the Heart of the Vision

The visit comes ahead of a high-level Coffee Tourism Strategic Dialogue to be hosted at the park, themed “One Million Coffee Tourists – $2 Billion Opportunity.”

The initiative aims to position coffee tourism as a driver of rural transformation, farmer empowerment and global brand visibility.

“Coffee is beyond the cup,” Dr Tugume said. “We want tourists to experience the entire journey — the culture, the science, the innovation and the heritage behind Uganda’s coffee.”

The Coffee Park is developing an Airstrip, Coffee Academy, Fertiliser Plant, Convention Centre, Exhibition Centre, and IT Park, all designed to anchor a thriving tourism ecosystem around coffee.

A $5 Billion Coffee Economy Within Reach

Dr Tugume reiterated Inspire Africa’s bold ambition to grow Uganda’s coffee earnings from $1 billion to $5 billion annually within five years, with $1 billion expected from coffee tourism alone.

“The global market is already responding,” he noted. “We are dispatching new export consignments to China, Turkey and the United States — and China has granted Uganda’s coffee zero-tax entry.”

He added that his passion for transformation is rooted in his upbringing. “I come from a family of coffee farmers — my grandparents nurtured this crop for over a century,” he said. “Seeing our coffee sold for $79 in the U.S. while farmers earned $1 was a turning point. Our mission is to ensure fairness, dignity and prosperity for those who grow this treasure.”

Challenges Remain — and Parliament Pledges Support

Despite the progress, Dr Tugume raised concerns about delays in connecting a direct power line from Mirama Hills and the national water supply, which have slowed full-scale soluble coffee production.

Tayebwa pledged immediate action. “These bottlenecks must be removed. I will engage the responsible ministries to fast-track power and water connections so this project can reach its full potential,” he vowed.

He emphasised that the Africa Coffee Park aligns squarely with the government’s priority value chains under the upcoming NDP IV. “This is the kind of innovation that will move Uganda from exporting raw beans to exporting branded excellence,” Tayebwa said. “Coffee tourism will not only market our country — it will change livelihoods.”