Nakalema Woos Irish Investors, Pledges to Tackle Business Bottlenecks
Nakalema also acknowledged Ireland’s longstanding relationship with Uganda and its support for initiatives in Karamoja, refugee assistance, education and youth skills development.
Uganda and Ireland are seeking to strengthen trade and investment ties, with a focus on investor protection, transparency and creating a more efficient, investor-friendly business environment.
The renewed commitment emerged during a courtesy visit by Ireland’s Ambassador to Uganda and Rwanda, H.E. Mags Gaynor, to Col. Edith Nakalema at the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU) offices.
Gaynor was accompanied by Jill Clements, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation, and Peter Ouma, Economic Adviser at the Irish Embassy.
The engagement focused on opportunities to deepen commercial partnerships and strengthen investor confidence in Uganda.
“There is significant untapped potential for Irish investment and business-to-business partnerships in Uganda,” Gaynor said.
She welcomed the opportunity to gain a better understanding of Uganda’s investment ecosystem, noting that initiatives to improve transparency and access to investment information could unlock opportunities for trade and business partnerships between the two countries.
Gaynor also commended the presentation of the Electronic Investors Protection Portal (EIPP), describing it as “incredibly helpful” and praising its integrated approach and accessibility in Irish.
She noted that the platform could potentially become the first international investor portal available in the Irish language outside the European Union.
The ambassador praised SHIPU’s efforts to strengthen investor protection, improve transparency and harness digital innovation through the EIPP.
Dr. Hamis Mugendawala, Director of Population and Social Development Planning at the National Planning Authority (NPA), reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to working with SHIPU to guide prospective investors towards opportunities aligned with their interests and investment priorities.
He also highlighted the government’s Project Preparation Facility (PPF), which supports preliminary assessments and feasibility studies to develop bankable projects while reducing upfront investment costs for investors.
Col. Nakalema welcomed the prospects for stronger commercial and technical cooperation, inviting Irish businesses to explore investment opportunities in Uganda.
She highlighted potential partnerships in agribusiness, technology, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, higher education and international financial services.
Nakalema also acknowledged Ireland’s longstanding relationship with Uganda and its support for initiatives in Karamoja, refugee assistance, education and youth skills development.
She reaffirmed SHIPU’s commitment to addressing investment bottlenecks and supporting Irish investors seeking to establish and expand their businesses in Uganda.
The engagement signals renewed efforts to translate the longstanding relationship between Uganda and Ireland into stronger commercial partnerships, greater investment flows and expanded business opportunities.
