The Buganda Kingdom has officially launched the board of the Mengo Chamber of Commerce in a move aimed at strengthening trade, promoting entrepreneurship, and equipping citizens with the skills needed to thrive in business.
The seven-member board is chaired by Mr John Fred Kiyimba Freeman and is mandated to offer strategic guidance, mentorship, and support to traders, entrepreneurs, and investors operating within and beyond the Kingdom.
While inaugurating the board, the Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, underscored the central role of trade in transforming livelihoods and driving sustainable development.
He said empowering people with practical business knowledge is critical to improving household incomes and fostering self-reliance.
“There is a need to equip people with business knowledge so that they can uplift their standards of living, because trade teaches wealth creation, innovation, and self-reliance,” Mayiga said.
He noted that income generation is rooted in offering value through goods or services, explaining that wealth is created when individuals are able to sell products or provide professional skills such as legal services, education, teaching, and other forms of expertise.
“For someone to get money, they must have something to sell. This can be a product or a service, because all these are goods that can be exchanged for income,” he said.
Mayiga also criticised the practice of traders displaying merchandise on shop verandas, warning that it undermines business efficiency and customer experience.
“When traders place goods on verandas, they block customers from finding space to stand and comfortably choose what to buy, which eventually drives them away,” he said, urging business owners to adopt more organised and customer-friendly trading practices.
Reflecting on history, the Katikkiro reminded the public that trade has long been a pillar of societal development.
He cited Buganda’s past conflicts with Bunyoro as an illustration of the strategic importance of commerce.
“Even the wars Buganda fought with Bunyoro were largely about trade, which shows how important commerce is in improving people’s livelihoods,” Mayiga said.
The Mengo Chamber of Commerce is expected to play a key role in promoting entrepreneurship, improving business standards, and creating linkages between traders, investors, and markets.
Kingdom officials expressed optimism that the newly inaugurated board will strengthen economic empowerment initiatives and position commerce as a key driver of prosperity within Buganda and beyond.