Parliament Committee Backs Shs294bn Expansion of Africa Coffee Park

What the report says

The Presidential Affairs Committee of Parliament has backed plans to expand the Africa Coffee Park in Ntungamo, with members saying they will seek additional government funding to help the project reach its full potential. According to Nile Post, the committee visited the site to inspect construction work, production areas and existing infrastructure before making its commitment.

The park, which is being developed by Inspire Africa, was described by committee members as an important part of Uganda’s industrialisation drive, with expected benefits in job creation, coffee value addition and broader economic transformation. MPs Sarah Babirye and Zahrah Luyirika praised the use of the resources already invested in the facility and urged wider public support for the project.

A key issue raised during the tour was power supply, with the facility said to need about 10 megawatts for its operations. Committee chair Simon Peter Opolot said the government had already begun addressing that challenge. The committee said the expansion would require $79.2 million, or about Shs294 billion, and pledged to push for the financing as part of efforts to attract investment and support socio-economic development.

Inspire Africa CEO Nelson Tugume said Uganda should process more of its coffee locally rather than exporting it in raw form. More broadly, the report places the project within a growing industrial push in Ntungamo, where coffee processing and value-addition investments are emerging as a local growth area.