President Museveni has awarded six outstanding entrepreneurs and industrialists for their contribution to Uganda's economic transformation at the Mustard Seed Awards 2025, held at Africa Coffee Park in Rwashameire, Ntungamo District.
The awards ceremony, organised by Inspire Africa Coffee, marked 40 years of growth and formed part of the President's third project inspection visit to Africa Coffee Park--a 150-acre state-of-the-art industrial hub positioned to become the largest coffee-processing and value-addition centre in Eastern and Central Africa.
Among the award recipients were Jennifer Mwijukye, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Unifreight Cargo Handling Ltd; Hao Zhang, Managing Director and Chairman of Liao Shen Industrial Park; Idro Taban, Chief Executive Officer of Zero Waste; and Barak Orland, Chief Executive Officer of BAR Aviation, among others.
In his remarks, President Museveni congratulated the awardees and noted that Uganda's export earnings have, for the first time, surpassed the country's import bill, attributing this milestone to value addition.
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"I am glad many people are waking up, and the rebirth of knowledge is now making sense. People like Nelson Tugume are very useful, having been provoked by my message. That is why we have supported and will continue to support them," Museveni said.
Referring to the four factors of production--land, labour, capital, and entrepreneurship--the President urged Ugandans to prioritise entrepreneurship, describing it as the key coordinator of economic activity.
However, he warned against uncontrolled economic leakage, describing it as a major challenge facing Africa.
"Africa's landmass is 12 times the size of India, with 1.5 billion people, yet its GDP is only about $3 trillion. The United States, which is roughly a quarter of Africa's size with 300 million people, has a GDP of $32 trillion. It is a shame for such a small country to be about 30 times richer than us," he said.
Museveni commended Nelson Tugume and the Inspire Africa Coffee team for embracing wealth creation principles and for unlocking the potential of coffee husk organic fertiliser to improve soil structure and long-term productivity.
He also expressed gratitude for public support during the recently concluded presidential elections and the election of NRM leaders.
Janet Museveni praised Inspire Africa Coffee for its job creation potential, noting that the heavy investment in coffee value addition has set a new trajectory for the sector.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa thanked the people of Ntungamo District for registering the second-highest vote tally in the country during the recent elections, after Isingiro District.
"This reflects the trust people have in the President's leadership and the progress the country continues to make," Tayebwa said.
He also commended Nelson Tugume for establishing a fertiliser plant aimed at providing affordable inputs to farmers, boosting coffee yields, and improving livelihoods, as well as setting up a coffee resort to promote coffee tourism.
Minister for the Presidency Milly Babirye Babalanda praised Museveni's wealth creation philosophy, saying it has empowered many Ugandans. She also applauded Tugume's leadership, describing it as a testament to vision, perseverance, and belief in national potential.
Babalanda revealed that what began as a conversation between a son and his mother about low coffee prices in 2018 has since enabled coffee from Buganda, Kigezi, Ankole, and Bugisu to access markets in Turkey, the United States, and China.
"This is how nations rise--when private ambition aligns with national purpose," she said.
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Monica Musenero, speaking on behalf of scientists and innovators, credited the President's support for enabling the sector to deliver tangible economic results.
"Science is now visible, and its impact on the economy can be clearly understood," she said.
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Nelson Tugume, a second-generation coffee farmer, reflected on his resilience journey, crediting the President's support for the project's success.
The Inspire Africa Coffee project is aligned with Uganda's Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV 2025/26-2029/30). Coffee has been identified as one of six priority agricultural value chains for value addition, with the project aiming to increase Uganda's coffee value from USD 2 billion to USD 5 billion by 2030.
Earlier in the day, President Museveni and Janet Museveni toured the fertiliser production plant on the shores of Lake Nyabihoko. The President later addressed a victory rally organised to celebrate his recent election win.
The event was attended by ministers, members of parliament, NRM Central Executive Committee members, senior presidential advisors, religious leaders, resident district commissioners, Ntungamo district leaders, and members of the business community.
