Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has launched the construction of the Uganda-Italy Coffee Training Centre at Kyambogo University in Kampala, in a move aimed at strengthening Uganda's coffee industry through skills development, value addition and domestic coffee consumption.

The groundbreaking ceremony marks an important milestone in the partnership between Uganda and Italy, which seeks to strengthen the country's coffee value chain and enable Ugandans to capture more economic benefits from their coffee.

Speaking at the ceremony, Nabbanja said coffee remains central to Uganda's economy and livelihoods, supporting more than three million smallholder households.

She revealed that Uganda's latest coffee exports had reached a record 8.4 million bags, valued at approximately US$2.4 billion, but noted that the country was still not capturing the full value of its coffee.

According to the Prime Minister, more than 98 per cent of Uganda's coffee is exported as green beans, leaving much of the value generated through processing and other activities to be captured outside the country.

She also cited Ministry of Agriculture estimates indicating that Uganda consumes only about seven per cent of its total coffee production.

Nabbanja said the new Uganda-Italy Coffee Training Centre would help address these challenges by developing the domestic coffee market and promoting value addition through improved quality, processing, grading and skills development.

She explained that the facility would equip Ugandans with practical skills to test, assess and improve coffee quality, as well as prepare and serve coffee to high standards in cafés, hotels and homes.

"Our objective is to ensure that the full value of our coffee, including the jobs and business opportunities it generates, remains in Uganda," Nabbanja said.

The Prime Minister further disclosed that she had invited Italian companies to invest in Uganda's coffee value addition sector during the first Uganda-Italy Business and Investment Forum held in Rome the previous month.

She welcomed the growing interest from Italian government and business leaders, noting that Italy already accounts for approximately 36 per cent of Uganda's coffee exports.

Nabbanja said the partnership should move beyond the traditional buyer-seller relationship towards greater investment in skills development, technology and institutional capacity.

She thanked the Government and people of Italy, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, represented at the ceremony by Ambassador Stefano Gatti, and Italian Development Cooperation for supporting Uganda's coffee sector.

She also recognised the contribution of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the ACT Coffee Programme team in advancing the project.

According to Nabbanja, UNIDO has supported the process through consultations with government ministries, assessment of proposed sites, preparation of designs and engagement of a Ugandan architect.

The Prime Minister revealed that the project would establish a fully-fledged Coffee Hub comprising a training centre, coffee quality laboratory, roastery, shop and coffee bar.

The facilities are expected to provide practical training opportunities and promote a distinctly Ugandan coffee culture by enabling consumers to enjoy locally produced coffee prepared by trained Ugandan professionals.

She commended Kyambogo University for providing one acre of land for the project, saying the university environment would offer opportunities for interaction between students, lecturers, researchers and industry stakeholders.

Nabbanja emphasised that the centre should prioritise opportunities for young people and women from all regions of Uganda, particularly those seeking careers in coffee quality control, roasting, barista skills, processing and entrepreneurship.

She called for training programmes that respond to the actual skills requirements of the coffee industry, adding that the government would work through the Ministry of Agriculture and Kyambogo University to ensure the centre becomes operational, sustainable and beneficial to Ugandans.

The Prime Minister also linked the project to Uganda's national ambition of increasing coffee production to 20 million bags by 2030.

She pledged to personally ensure that the Memorandum of Understanding between Kyambogo University and the Ministry of Agriculture is signed as soon as possible.

The agreement is expected to enable UNIDO to proceed with the necessary applications for construction permits from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

Nabbanja urged all project implementers to uphold high standards of quality, ensure value for money and complete the construction works within the agreed timeframe.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) was represented at the ceremony by the State Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Desire Muhooza, and the Permanent Secretary, Maj. Gen. (Retd) David Kasura-Kyomukama.

Other government officials present included the State Minister for Local Government, Hon. Justine Nameere, and the State Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi.

The Uganda-Italy Coffee Training Centre is expected to strengthen the country's capacity to improve coffee quality, develop skilled professionals and expand opportunities for processing and value addition.

The project also represents an effort to deepen Uganda's cooperation with Italy while creating more opportunities for farmers, entrepreneurs and young people across the coffee value chain.