Uganda Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in uganda, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Market Opportunists
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Top prospect sectors for U.S. exports to Uganda include:

  1. Extractives: Uganda has an estimated 1.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil, with the first oil exports expected in 2026. TotalEnergies and the China Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) hold production licenses to develop Uganda’s known oil reserves in the Lake Albert Oil Development Project through the Kingfisher and Tilenga projects. The companies are investing approximately USD 10 billion in pre-production financing. Due to the remote location and waxy nature of Uganda’s oil, the Lake Albert Oil Development Project includes the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, the world’s longest heated oil pipeline (1,445 km), which will transport oil to the Tanzanian port of Tanga for export.  Uganda plans to build a $4.4 billion, 60,000 barrels-per-day oil refinery and eventually develop a petrochemical industry, primarily for the domestic market. Additionally, the government plans to build production facilities, a storage terminal, and connecting pipelines. Significant infrastructure projects in the oil sector include central processing facilities, refined products pipelines, a $3.5 billion export pipeline, and the $4.5 billion oil refinery.

2. Renewable Energy and Power Grid Technology: While less than 20% of the population has access to the national electrical grid, 52% of Ugandans have access to electricity (42.4% in rural areas), due in large part to off-grid resources. The government has aggressive plans to increase these electrification rates by constructing large- and small-scale power facilities. Uganda enjoys surplus hydro power potential, and the government has expressed interest in exporting future power to neighboring countries. In September 2024, the government commissioned the 600-megawatt (MW) Karuma hydro power station. Leading opportunities for U.S. investors include exporting renewable energy equipment and services for on-grid, off-grid, and micro-grid applications; energy transmission and distribution projects; and engineering and environmental management services.

3. Agriculture: Uganda enjoys abundant fertile land, favorable weather, and two growing seasons throughout most of the country, leading to multiple crop harvests per year. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, Uganda’s fertile agricultural land has the potential to feed over 200 million people. Agriculture accounted for 26.2% of GDP and 36% of export earnings in 2024 and employs over 68% of Uganda’s working population. Fractured and undocumented land tenure remains problematic, however, with many Ugandan farmers lacking clear land titles, hampering obtainment of loans and efforts to consolidate production. Approximately 80% of Uganda’s land is arable, but only 35% is under cultivation. Uganda became the top coffee exporting country in Africa in 2024 and a significant vanilla exporter to the United States, among other food products, including tea, sugar, livestock, fish, edible oils, cotton, plantains, corn, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes, millet, sorghum, and groundnuts. Leading opportunities for U.S. investors include equipment for value-added production of agricultural products, irrigation systems and their components, and provision of agriculture management services.

4. Construction: Uganda’s infrastructure needs remain substantial. The government is focused on building roads, including tolled roads built using alternative project financing models. Uganda also faces an eight-million-unit housing shortage according to the Uganda National Planning Authority. Leading opportunities for U.S. investors include architecture services, construction equipment sales, project management services, and environment management services.

5. Information and Communications Technology:  Demand for information and communications technology is high in Uganda. However, investors grapple with a difficult regulatory environment, including taxes on imported internet-based services and applications. Leading opportunities for U.S. investors include building data centers; providing data security services and internet services; and exporting telecommunications hardware, fiber optic equipment, and network hardware.

6. Healthcare: Uganda’s medical facilities remain underfunded and poorly managed, with the government dedicating 7.6% of the 2025/2026 total budget to the health sector. Uganda’s poorly equipped public hospitals provide limited services. To fill the gap, several local and international investors have constructed private hospitals and dental clinics to serve wealthy and middle-class Ugandans, as well as expatriates. Uganda’s pharmaceutical industry has developed significantly over the past ten years, but Uganda still imports 80% of its essential medicines and health supplies. Leading opportunities for U.S. investors include provision of pharmaceutical, medical diagnostic, and treatment equipment; and investing in pharmaceutical production and distribution facilities.

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