Ntungamo, Uganda | July 18, 2026 — Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Eng. Jonard Asiimwe has announced plans to table a Cabinet proposal requiring all government institutions to serve Ugandan coffee during official meetings as part of efforts to promote local consumption and strengthen the country’s coffee value chain.
The minister made the announcement during his first official visit to the Africa Coffee Park in Ntungamo District on Friday, where he toured the multi-billion-shilling coffee processing facility and met officials from Inspire Africa Group and local coffee farmers.
Eng. Asiimwe said increasing domestic coffee consumption is critical to complementing Uganda’s position as one of Africa’s leading coffee producers and exporters.
“I will propose a policy in Cabinet requiring every government agency to serve Ugandan coffee during official meetings. We must lead by example in supporting our own products,” he said.
The minister also revealed plans to champion the introduction of coffee in secondary schools, arguing that it would help cultivate a culture of coffee consumption among young Ugandans while creating a stronger domestic market for locally processed products.
The visit formed part of his familiarisation tour of projects supported by the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretariat.
Accompanied by senior technical officials from the Secretariat, Eng. Asiimwe toured the 150-acre industrial park alongside Dr. Robert Limlim, Chairperson of the Inspire Africa Board, and Nelson Tugume, Chief Executive Officer of Inspire Africa Group.
The delegation inspected the park’s coffee roasting, spray drying and freeze-drying facilities, as well as an organic fertiliser plant that converts coffee by-products and animal waste into fertiliser.
Call to Fast-Track Electricity Connection
During the visit, Dr. Limlim thanked the government for supporting the project but appealed for the expedited construction of an industrial power line to enable commercial production.
“We appreciate the support the Government has given us. We have now resolved the water challenge and request that the electricity connection be expedited so we can begin industrial-scale production,” he said.
Local Consumption Key to Value Addition
Inspire Africa Group CEO Nelson Tugume urged the government to take deliberate steps to increase local coffee consumption, including introducing coffee in schools and supporting locally manufactured coffee products.
“While we were in school, tea was served every day. Why can’t we have coffee served in secondary schools on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays? Coffee can provide students with the energy they need while also creating a domestic market for our farmers,” Tugume said.
He also called for policy measures to protect Uganda’s coffee processing industry once local production of soluble coffee begins.
Government Backs Commercialisation
Eng. Asiimwe described the Africa Coffee Park as a strategic investment aligned with Uganda’s industrialisation agenda and efforts to increase value addition in agriculture.
“I am here to affirm that H.E. the President has a strong belief in this project and other science projects, and that is why he deployed me to this sector because I am an innovator,” the minister said.
He directed the Ministry’s Department of Technical Support Services to develop a market strategy for the commercialisation of products manufactured at the park and instructed his technical team to expedite the valuation process for the government’s planned equity stake in the project.
Addressing more than 100 coffee farmers who had visited the facility, the minister encouraged them to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities around the industrial hub by investing in accommodation and other support services.
“Build hotels and other facilities because this park will attract many visitors. We want the surrounding communities to benefit from this investment,” he said.
The Africa Coffee Park is designed to become one of East Africa’s largest coffee value-addition centres, producing freeze-dried instant coffee, roasted coffee, coffee-based beverages and cosmetic products.
The project is part of Uganda’s broader strategy to increase value addition in the coffee sector, one of the country’s priority agricultural value chains under the Fourth National Development Plan.
