Uganda’s push for a USD 500 billion economy could fail unless the country strengthens its quality infrastructure and restores confidence in locally made goods, Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) Executive Director Eng. James Kasigwa has warned.
Kasigwa made the remarks during the National Stakeholder Consultation on the review of the Uganda MSME Policy (2015) and the National Standards and Quality Policy (2012), where he also unveiled the Guide for Good Governance of the National Quality Infrastructure (NQI).
He said quality remains the country’s weakest link.
“Uganda will not reach its target if our products are not trusted,” Kasigwa said.
Kasigwa explained that the National Quality Infrastructure is built on four pillars:
standardisation (setting standards), conformity assessment (testing, inspection and surveillance), metrology (accurate measurement), and accreditation (institutional competence).
Without these, he said, Uganda cannot compete.
“If you cannot test, measure or certify properly, you cannot compete,” he said.
He criticised the low confidence Ugandans have in their own products.
“You produce something and refuse to buy it yourself,” he said, adding that even carpenters avoid using their own furniture.
Kasigwa warned that Uganda is competing globally, not just regionally, and weak quality systems are undermining enterprise growth.
“We are no longer competing with neighbours. We are competing with the world,” he said.
He noted that more than 90 percent of Uganda’s businesses are MSMEs, calling them the engine of jobs, growth and innovation. But most remain too small and constrained by quality challenges.
He described the ongoing policy review as urgent.
“Industrial transformation depends on competitive enterprises, credible institutions and quality-driven production,” he said.
Kasigwa urged stakeholders to align reforms with national development goals and reaffirmed UNBS’s commitment.
“We will continue to build trust in Ugandan products,” he said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Deogratius Masagazi, said SMEs must prioritise standardisation.
“If your product is not standard, it will not access markets,” he said.
“When you access markets, you earn incomes. With incomes, you industrialize. With industrialisation, you innovate.”
Masagazi said many Ugandan products struggle to expand because they fail to meet benchmarks. SMEs were repeatedly urged to seek certification throughout the consultations.
He stressed consumer protection.
“Substandard goods put lives at risk,” he said.
Masagazi said a strong standards culture will boost confidence, demand and industrial output. He added that competition drives improvement.
“When your competitor’s product reaches the market and yours does not, you learn,” he said.
He called on institutions, the private sector and development partners to engage openly on standards if Uganda is to meet its economic goals.