By Johannah Nantongo
KAPEEKA — Gen Salim Saleh and KCB Bank Uganda have thrown their weight behind the Uganda Coffee Group, a private sector-led initiative seeking to expand local coffee processing, manufacturing and branding to increase the value retained within the country.
The group was launched on October 15 at Kapeeka Industrial Park, bringing together farmers, cooperatives, processors, manufacturers, investors and financial institutions to mobilise investment across Uganda’s coffee value chain.
Gen Saleh, Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation, Senior Presidential Adviser and the group’s chief fundraiser, called on stakeholders and the public to support the initiative, which seeks to position Uganda as a producer and marketer of finished coffee products rather than primarily an exporter of raw beans.
Edgar Byamah, Managing Director of KCB Bank Uganda, said the lender would contribute its experience in agricultural financing, trade and value-chain development to help businesses expand and access markets.
Byamah said the bank’s regional footprint and experience working with agricultural aggregators would be valuable in developing Uganda’s coffee industry. He also pledged KCB’s initial financial contribution as a member of the group.
The bank offers eligible aggregators and processors contract financing of up to Shs800 million and invoice financing of up to Shs1 billion. Input dealers can access financing covering up to 80 per cent of qualifying supply requirements, while farmers and farmer groups may obtain digital agricultural input financing and unsecured business loans of up to Shs200 million, subject to assessment.
KCB also provides asset financing, advisory services and credit through the Agricultural Credit Facility, operated in partnership with the Bank of Uganda.
Moses Kawombe Tamale, Chairman of the Uganda Coffee Group, said the initiative would focus on improving coffee quality, promoting climate-smart production, expanding domestic processing and manufacturing, and investing in research and innovation.
Operating under the slogan “From Green Bean to Global Value,” the group aims to build a globally competitive Ugandan coffee brand and increase local participation in processing, packaging, distribution and international trade.
Uganda exported approximately 7.75 million 60-kilogramme bags of coffee in the 2024/25 financial year, earning about US$2.21 billion, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.
The group intends to mobilise Shs30 billion in initial capital over two years and increase investment in Uganda’s domestic coffee industry to Shs1.57 trillion by 2040. It also aims to double the value farmers earn from coffee every two years, with the broader objective of improving household incomes and retaining more economic benefits within Uganda.