Construction of the Luwero Coffee Park, one of Uganda’s flagship coffee value-addition projects, will officially begin on 17 January.
This was revealed at the just concluded Greater Luwero Investment Expo, where Vice President Jessica Alupo, representing President Museveni, endorsed the project as a timely catalyst for regional economic transformation.
Presiding over the expo at the Kasana Grounds in Luwero, the Vice President described the Coffee Park as a strategic investment that will strengthen market access for farmers, create jobs, and accelerate industrialisation in the Greater Luwero sub-region.
The Luwero Coffee Park aligns with the government’s ambition to grow Uganda’s coffee export earnings from USD 2 billion to USD 10 billion by 2030, as part of the broader shift from raw commodity exports to value-added production.
Coffee remains Uganda’s most valuable agricultural export and a central pillar of the country’s economic transformation agenda.
Strategically located in Luwero, within one of Uganda’s leading Robusta coffee-producing belts, the project is designed to anchor the national coffee value chain while also carrying symbolic significance for the region historically associated with the liberation struggle.
The project is being implemented under the Value-at-Source Coffee Initiative, a partnership between the Governments of Uganda through Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) and Saudi Arabia, with Nonda Commodities Limited as the local implementation partner and Ingaz Group International as the Saudi partner.
Local leaders have welcomed the development, describing it as a major opportunity for farmers, youth, and the regional economy.
The Acting Resident District Commissioner for Luwero, Mr. Abel Bekunda, confirmed that all approvals have been secured and that construction will commence as scheduled.
“Land for the project has already been secured along Kasiso Road near Nimrod Hotel in Kasana. All approvals from both governments are complete, and the groundbreaking will take place on 17 January,” Bekunda said.
He added that the project is expected to create over 2,000 direct jobs and at least 15,000 indirect jobs, urging residents to prepare to benefit from the employment and market opportunities it will generate.
Farmers in the district say the Coffee Park comes at a critical time when access to reliable markets has remained a key constraint. Ms. Alisa Elsie Nangendo, a young coffee farmer in Katikamu, said the project has restored confidence among producers.
“This project guarantees a market and encourages us to plant more coffee. It will also create jobs, earn foreign exchange, and open opportunities for young people,” Nangendo said.
Similarly, Mr. Lameck Zziwa, a farmer in Kasana, noted that the investment complements government programmes such as the Parish Development Model by ensuring that increased production is matched with guaranteed demand.
Meanwhile, Mr. Augustine Kisitu, the Luwero Coffee Park Project Coordinator, confirmed that 29 acres of land have been secured for the development.
“Once operational, the park will create at least 2,000 direct jobs, support over 100,000 coffee-farming households, and generate billions of shillings in foreign exchange earnings,” Kisitu said.
