Uganda has been a member of the Commonwealth of Nations since attaining its independence in 1962. However, it has not been a member of the prestigious Commonwealth Enterprise & Investment Council, the business engine of the entity. In December 2025, a delegation headed by Lord Swire, the Commonwealth Enterprise & Investment Council Deputy Chairman came to Kampala to extend an invitation to Uganda for membership of the Council. As the President was in the middle of campaigns upcountry, he assigned the task to Special Operations, the docket under Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
The Special Operations Desk, under the CDF is a no-nonsense channel that cuts through bureaucracy and red tape, delivering projects on time and in the framework desired. There’s no room for delays waiting for ‘kitu-kidogo’ or kick backs. Lord Swire together with A Q Hamza, the Chief Commercial Officer and Group Director for International Trade Relations at Equity Group Holdings met Gen. Kainerugaba at the Special Forces Command Headquarters in Entebbe and discussed the potential for Uganda joining the Enterprise and Investment Council of the Commonwealth Group. They also discussed Uganda’s participation in the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit, just concluded in London on April 21st. The annual summit is regarded as a premier forum that brings together the blue-chip business community with Heads of Government Institutions senior leaders and captains of industry.
The initial stage involved Uganda paying its subscription for membership of the Council which Gen Kainerugaba promptly initiated. It was done. The second part involved preparation for participating in the Commonwealth Trade & Investment Summit in London. The summit has taken place at a particularly significant moment for the global economy. Businesses and Governments around the world are facing an increasing uncertain environment shaped by rising protectionism, tariffs, supply chain disruption, geo-political tensions and rapid technological change. Against this backdrop, the Commonwealth has never been more relevant. Built on shared legal systems, the English language and trusted relationships, the ‘Commonwealth Advantage’ continues to make it easier, faster and cheaper to do business across borders of member nations. Uganda is now at that Table.
The just concluded 2026 Summit availed a platform for discussions, re-focusing on critical issues and ensuring the Commonwealth business priorities were advanced. It featured plenary sessions and high-level round table discussions – supported by more informal networking opportunities and business to business meetings attracting some of the blue-chip companies as well as high profile participants. Some of the companies from Uganda that participated included the Madhvani group, The Implementing Partner Limited, River Bank International and The Independent Publication. The Uganda Media Centre was there to cover the summit for Uganda. The Commonwealth Trade & Investment meeting chose Uganda as its next destination to host the summit in 2027.
The theme for the 2026 Summit was ‘Commonwealth Solutions to Global Challenges’ and focused on how the Commonwealth can provide practical answers to some of the most pressing issues facing global business and trade. Through a combination of main stage discussions and closed-door roundtable, participants explored the role of investment, technology, innovation, sustainability and public – private corroboration in creating new opportunities across the network of over 150 Strategic Partners and 56 countries.
Andrew Mwenda who spoke on behalf of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba articulated the dynamic of international trade and the way it disadvantages the developing world. He argued that for as long as the developing world continues to export raw materials with limited value addition, those countries would never compete favourably with the developed world. He took a dim-view of Direct Foreign Investment as a way of pulling countries out of poverty. He argued for innovative partnerships that allow developing countries to add value to their exports whether its oil, minerals or commodities and for them to enter into new technologies with the developed nations able and willing to share technical know how.
The two-day summit had key sessions on ‘the commonwealth’s advantage’, global tariffs; reshaping the World’s economy, mobilising capital for growth in emerging markets, critical minerals, capital and the Commonwealth power, investing in the future of digital health systems, balancing growth and preservation in global tourism, building resilient diversified economies, cross-border trade payments as a backbone of global trade, global energy transition & what will power the next decade, Skills, work, and inclusion in the age of Artificial intelligence among other topics. There were insightful presentations but Tim calver, VP Commercial & ITM Power gave a captivating one on Balancing Energy Security and Decarbonisation.
The two-day summit was attended by several Cabinet Ministers of Commonwealth member states, Heads of International Agencies including the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, The Hon. Shirley Botchwey and other notables including Lord Marland, Chairperson of the Commonwealth Enterprise & Investment Council, Hon Sylvie Temon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Central Africa Republic and Professor Birgitte Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of the Big Innovation Centre, UK.

The writer is Head of Communications & Media Relations – Uganda Media Centre.
@Dennis_Katungi