Inspire Africa Group (IAG) has officially launched its first line of finished coffee products at the Africa Coffee Park in Rwashamaire, Ntungamo District.
The launch, held on International Coffee Day, was led by Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo, who flagged off the first truck of products headed for the local market.
The occasion marked the entry of Uganda’s largest coffee industrial park into both local and international trade.
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Government officials, delegations from the Rwanda Defence Forces and Uganda People’s Defence Forces attended the event and toured the new park. They were shown how the facility will contribute to national development and support Uganda’s drive for agro-industrialisation.
Themed “From Bean to Brilliance”, the event showcased coffee’s potential to fuel sustainable development, create jobs, and strengthen Uganda’s position in global trade.
Inspire Africa CEO, Nelson Tugume, guided guests around the factory, presenting its advanced processing facilities and innovations.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Justice Dollo praised Tugume for investing locally and supporting national growth.
“There is no easier way to transform people’s lives than by embracing coffee growing. We need to promote our home ground investors; I don’t call them local because that minimises their status,” he said.
Tugume explained that the project was built to raise Ugandans’ livelihoods through job creation and value addition before export.
He revealed that Inspire Africa has already developed four coffee products, with more in progress.
“Our vision is to make Uganda’s coffee a competitive product on the global market by adding value, increasing prices for our farmers, and creating opportunities for export,” he told guests.
He stressed the continent’s potential in the coffee sector.
“Africa is able only to utilise and add value to 30%. You’ll have GDP of the United States 10 times. So this milestone to me is a journey of ensuring that the value addition is understood.”
Calling on Ugandans to support the initiative, Tugume said, “I call upon all Ugandans to understand your own coffee and drink it. That’s how you’ll be able to appreciate and to be able to get quality products out there in the world.”
He added that President Museveni would officially flag off the first international exports of Inspire Africa coffee on October 7 2025.
By December 2025, the company plans to expand into China, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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Energy and Mineral Development Minister, Ruth Nankabirwa, assured the company of government backing.
She confirmed that a dedicated power line from Mirama Hills substation, already 40% complete, would be built to ensure reliable electricity for the factory.
“We have no choice but to supply reliable power to industries like this that add value… whereby if you don’t supply with constant power, the wastage and loss is going to be enormous,” she said, adding that an extra transformer would be installed at the substation specifically for the park.
Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda, also encouraged Ugandans to support Inspire Africa.
“Our baby is crawling. Soon, our baby will be positioned to walk independently. We have to market our products using all avenues because this is our only baby.” she said.
The Africa Coffee Park covers hundreds of acres and is expected to produce 15,000 metric tonnes of finished coffee annually, boosting jobs and exports for Uganda.
The park also has plans for agro-tourism, including a beach, sports facilities, hotels, and an airstrip.
Tugume described the project as “Africa’s journey from raw potential to finished excellence.”
The launch was hailed as a milestone for Uganda’s coffee industry, which is already Africa’s largest producer of robusta coffee and the continent’s second-biggest exporter overall.