Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Sanjay Tanna has urged Japanese investors to increase their presence in Uganda, particularly in infrastructure, agro-processing, tourism and technology.
Tanna made the call during a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Uganda Sasayama Takuya, who paid a courtesy call on the minister at Farmers House in Kampala.
The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations through trade, infrastructure and investment.
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Tanna highlighted Kenya's position as a gateway to East Africa and asked the Japanese government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to support Uganda in expanding the Busia and Malaba One Stop Border Posts.
He said increased trade along the Northern Corridor has resulted in congestion at the two border crossings, causing lengthy queues of trucks and delays in the movement of goods.
"There is a need to upgrade the Busia and Malaba OSBPs to accommodate the increased trade volumes along the Northern Corridor, which have led to frequent traffic snarl-ups and massive truck queues stretching dozens of kilometres," Tanna said.
"We would like Japan to support us in expanding the border infrastructure, including working on the roads, to boost regional trade."
The minister also made a strong pitch for Japanese investment in agro-processing, urging investors to add value to Uganda's agricultural products for both local and export markets.
He identified pineapples, avocados, milk, essential oils, organic honey and shea butter as some of the products with potential for value addition, particularly for medical and food supplement markets.
"We have it all here in plenty; help us to add value to it and take it to the Japanese market," Tanna said.
"We have plenty of organic honey that is going to waste in northern Uganda. We want people who can process it. We are also looking for market access for our sugar, milk, meat and eggs."
Sasayama acknowledged Uganda's progress in agriculture and called for stronger cooperation in agricultural projects, including the New Rice for Africa (NERICA) upland rice project and innovations in machinery for smallholder farmers.
He reaffirmed Japan's commitment to supporting food security and improving incomes for farmers in Uganda.
The ambassador also informed Tanna about a business mission by Japanese investors and policymakers scheduled to visit Uganda in January 2027 to explore investment and business opportunities.
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Tanna asked Sasayama to share the names and sectors of the 30 companies already registered for the mission to facilitate matchmaking with Ugandan businesses and Japanese partners.
Tourism and technology also featured in the discussions, with Tanna seeking Japanese expertise in science, technology and innovation to improve the utilisation of Uganda's tourism infrastructure.
He also encouraged Japanese investors to consider Uganda alongside Kenya as an investment destination, promising support from his ministry.
Sasayama invited Tanna to attend the International Horticultural Expo 2027, also known as the Yokohama Green Expo 2027, scheduled to take place in Yokohama, Japan, from March 19 to September 26, 2027.
Japan has designated September 8, 2027 as Uganda National Day during the six-month expo.
The ambassador said the event would provide another opportunity for Uganda and Japan to explore partnerships.
Both sides committed to pursuing concrete follow-up actions in trade, investment and technology transfer.
