Salim Saleh rallies Ugandans behind coffee value addition
Uganda Coffee Group launches with a UGX30 billion capital target and backing from Gen. Salim Saleh
KCB Bank Uganda has joined the newly launched Uganda Coffee Group, a private sector-led platform that aims to keep more of the value from the country’s coffee within Uganda by expanding local processing, manufacturing and branding.
The group was launched at Namunkekera Industrial Park in Kapeeka. The event brought together stakeholders from across the coffee industry to mobilise investment for the initiative.
Gen. Salim Saleh, the Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation and Senior Presidential Advisor, who serves as the group’s chief fundraiser, urged Ugandans and stakeholders to support the initiative and take a more active role in the coffee value chain. The aim, he said, is to move beyond the sale of raw beans and create opportunities for Ugandans to grow, process, roast, package, brand and distribute coffee locally and abroad.
A major export earner
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda exported about 7.75 million 60-kilogramme bags of coffee in the 2024/25 financial year, earning roughly US$2.21 billion.
The Uganda Coffee Group describes itself as an indigenous investment and commercialisation platform that connects farmers, cooperatives, processors, manufacturers, investors and financial institutions. Its stated priorities include climate-smart production, better coffee quality, expanded local processing and manufacturing, stronger research and innovation, and a competitive Ugandan coffee brand.
Group chairman Moses Kawombe Tamale said the initiative marks a deliberate shift in how Uganda approaches its coffee sector. Under the theme “From Green Bean to Global Value,” the group seeks to move the country from being mainly an exporter of raw coffee to a stronger player in processing, manufacturing, branding, financing and trade.
The group plans to raise UGX30 billion in starting capital over two years and to grow investment in the local coffee industry to UGX1.57 trillion by 2040. It also aims to double the value farmers earn from the coffee value chain every two years.
KCB commits to initial contribution
Speaking at the launch, KCB Bank Uganda Managing Director Edgar Byamah said the bank would draw on its regional experience in agricultural financing, trade and value-chain development.
“Coffee transcends borders. It is a crop that is present in four or five of the countries in the East African Community, and we bring that experience on top of access to market, which is very critical,” Byamah said.
He said the bank’s work with aggregators and value addition in other agricultural sectors, including sugar, gave it a foundation for engaging in coffee.
“We are happy to be one of the partners, and we pledge to you that we will make that initial contribution that is expected of the members as part of this Uganda Coffee Group,” he said.
Financing options outlined
The bank outlined several products for businesses along the coffee value chain, subject to its assessment and lending conditions:
Aggregators and processors with qualifying contracts and invoices can access unsecured contract financing of up to UGX800 million and invoice financing of up to UGX1 billion.
Agricultural input dealers can access financing of up to 80 per cent of eligible input-supply requirements.
Farmers and farmer groups can use digital solutions for input purchases and apply for unsecured business loans of up to UGX200 million.
KCB also listed asset financing and advisory services among its offerings, along with participation in the Agricultural Credit Facility, an arrangement involving participating financial institutions and the Bank of Uganda.
Byamah’s remarks and the bank’s presentation pointed to a common obstacle in agriculture, where farmers and businesses often have viable opportunities but lack the capital to pursue them.
The group’s backers say achieving its targets will require coordinated investment, stronger market access, improved production practices and sustained cooperation between the public and private sectors.
