The head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema, has revealed that the unit has facilitated investments worth approximately Shs 544 billion through its electronic investor protection system since its establishment in 2023.
While welcoming the newly appointed Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Sanjay Tana, to the unit on Tuesday, Nakalema said the investments were tracked through the Electronic Investors Protection Portal, which was launched by President Yoweri Museveni in December 2023.
“We assessed ourselves and found that the Electronic Investors Protection Portal has actually brought in investments worth 147 million United States dollars,” Nakalema said. “We know where these investors are because they came through the tracking system and have stabilized in the country.”
Nakalema said the portal was created to address bottlenecks affecting investors and improve coordination among government agencies responsible for investment facilitation.
According to her, the system links more than 50 government agencies, enabling complaints and investment-related concerns to be tracked and resolved more efficiently.
She also said the portal won a continental award from the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM), defeating entries from dozens of African countries.
Nakalema further claimed that independent research had ranked the portal highly for its contribution to attracting foreign direct investment into Uganda.
The SHIPU head praised the appointment of Mwebesa as Trade Minister, describing him as an experienced investor who understands the challenges faced by businesses and investors.
She urged public officials to improve communication about government achievements, arguing that many Ugandans remain unaware of progress made in investment promotion and economic development.
“Government has achieved so much, but many people out there do not know what government is doing,” Nakalema said.
She added that SHIPU would soon submit a performance report to the President detailing the unit’s contribution to investment promotion and protection in Uganda.
The State House Investors Protection Unit was established to safeguard investments, resolve investor grievances and coordinate government agencies involved in facilitating business and investment in the country.