The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MOFPED), is convening the 1st Annual Economic and Commercial Diplomacy (ECD) Performance Review Retreat 2026 at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa from 16–18 September 2026 under the theme “From Performance Review to Institutional Commitments: Strengthening ECD Delivery and Opportunity Conversion.” The retreat brings together officials from the Ministry, Uganda’s Missions abroad, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and private-sector partners to review the implementation and performance of the ECD Strategy during FY2025/26 and strengthen the conversion of identified opportunities into tangible economic outcomes.
Opening the retreat on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Amb. Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, Amb. Richard Kabonero, Head of ECD and Regional Economic Cooperation, commended the teams, Uganda’s Missions abroad and partners for their efforts in implementing the ECD mandate. He noted that approximately US$35 million was invested in the programme in 2026, while returns presented at the retreat were projected at almost four times that amount. “ECD is a collective responsibility,” Amb. Kabonero said, emphasising the need for continued collaboration among the Ministry, Missions, MDAs and the private sector. He added that Uganda had successfully completed the ECD pilot phase and was now moving into full-scale implementation.
Mr. Moses Kabanda, Commissioner for Public Administration at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, said the review provides an opportunity to assess what was planned against what was delivered, including opportunities generated, converted, remaining active or lost. He noted progress in using Uganda’s Missions to advance trade, investment, tourism and strategic partnerships, while highlighting challenges including uneven performance across Missions, limited follow-up, gaps in market intelligence, standards and export readiness, and delays in institutional responses. “The focus should now be on practical solutions, clear responsibilities and timelines,” he urged.
Mr. Ashaba Hannighton, Director of Budget at Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Developmant, called for a results-oriented approach to ECD, stressing that diplomatic engagements should translate into exports, productive investment, jobs, business opportunities and increased government revenue. He emphasised that ECD financing should increasingly be linked to performance, clear priorities and measurable results, noting that Government must ensure value for money amid competing resource demands. “ECD is an instrument for delivering the country’s economic transformation agenda,” he said.
The performance review highlighted growth across key areas of Uganda’s economic diplomacy. Export value increased from US$7.8 billion in FY2023/24 to US$15.8 billion in FY2025/26, while FDI increased from US$3.0 billion to US$3.6 billion between FY2023/24 and FY2024/25. Tourist arrivals rose from 1.27 million in 2023 to 1.64 million in 2025, while diaspora remittances increased from US$1.51 billion to US$2.55 billion over the same period.
Reporting on the status of opportunities identified by Missions, Amb. Arthur Kafeero, deputy head of Mission, Uganda embassy in Geneva highlighted the importance of systematic opportunity management. The review assessed 52 opportunities across more than 10 Missions, covering investment, trade, climate financing and other priority areas. He stressed the need to track opportunities from identification through engagement, negotiation and eventual realisation, with clear ownership, timelines, prospective partner details, value and next steps.
The review also identified key constraints affecting ECD delivery, including standards and quality compliance, Non-Tariff Barriers, infrastructure limitations, weak market intelligence, low private-sector competitiveness, inconsistent supply and aggregation systems, limited bankable projects, inadequate economic data and slow institutional responses to opportunities, leads, MoUs and agreements.
The retreat will continue with discussions on trade, exports and market access, tourism, investment, technology transfer and strategic partnerships. Participants will develop the 2026/27 annual ECD plan and an implementation matrix outlining priority actions, responsible institutions and timelines, with emphasis on stronger follow-up, institutional ownership and converting opportunities identified by Uganda’s Missions into measurable economic outcomes.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Republic of Uganda - Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
