Eastern region UMA trade fair opens doors for regional entrepreneurs

On June 7, the 14th Eastern Region Trade Fair (ERTF), organized by the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), was officially opened by the Umukuuka of the Bugisu region as the chief guest at Mbale Secondary School grounds.

The occasion was graced by RCC George William Wopuwa, Mbale City Mayor Joyce Matuka Kidulu, UMA chairman of the advisory committee, Abid Alam, UMA board members, captains of industry, exhibitors, and ERTF partners.

His royal highness Umukuuka, guided by Eddy Senkumba, the UMA vice chairman, toured the stalls in the presence of other UMA executive members. Dr Ezra Muhumuza extended his gratitude to the people of Mbale for their warm welcome, acknowledged the role of Sino Industrial Park in transforming the industrial economy of Mbale City, and highlighted the multiple jobs it provides to local residents.

He also emphasized the importance of consumers receiving the right products from manufacturers at low prices and ensuring the sustainability of the industrial sector, which are the two main objectives of this trade fair.

He further revealed the Industrial Educational Pavilion, which Senkumba described as a hub for future skills and innovations, highlighting training in analog & digital electronics for students in primary, secondary, tertiary, and university levels; STEM teacher training; and augmented virtual reality to give you a restation and innovation marketing exhibition showcasing homegrown innovations.

The Industrial Education Pavilion dialogue is to be held based on the three pillars of STEM, TBET, and innovation, which means that while the industrial sector is trading today, it’s also developing a skilled workforce for tomorrow.

In addition, Regina Namuwonge, the chairperson of the Marketing, Communications, and Events Committee, talked of this pavilion as a place where talent meets opportunities and ideas spark possibilities, and she provided an overview of the future industrial sector.

Students get a chance to showcase their projects, experiments, and various inventions that the youth are currently undertaking. Namuwonge recognized the significant contribution of the trade fair to Mbale City and the neighboring districts by actively supporting startups and established businesses in the Eastern Region.

She also stretched out the role of UMA as a voice of the Ugandan manufacturing sector, bringing together over 1,500 manufacturers, businesses, traders, distributors, and those in the service industry to do business and contribute to the economic development of the country and the role of the trade fair in providing consistent visibility for Uganda’s brands and stronger linkages across the wider business community.

Additionally, she emphasized the various entertainment activities, such as performances by local artists from the Bugisu region, at the trade fair to promote the creative sector at the local level and to highlight its importance in economic growth, tourism, and community development.

Further, Namuwonge encouraged exhibitors to associate with the government agencies present, like URSB, to formalize, strengthen, and grow their enterprises. She then went ahead to extend her appreciation to the Uganda Police and ministry of Health for partnering with them to ensure a successful and healthy trade fair and highlighted the forthcoming International Trade Fair at UMA showgrounds from October 2 to October 11, 2026.

In his speech, RCC George William Wopuwa recognized the headteachers for their participation in the trade fair and acknowledged the industrial sector’s role in socio- economic transformation by creating jobs for many graduates, reducing unemployment challenges, and adhering to the SOPs in the ERTF.

The UMA chairman, represented by his vice chairman Eddy Senkumba, emphasized the contribution of this trade fair to Uganda’s economic transformation by becoming a cornerstone of the industrial-commercial efforts as well as creating a platform that brings manufacturers, innovators, and small businesses into a formal fold to be able to access finance, meet standards, and ensure sustainable growth.

He acknowledged the partnership of Total Energies, Science, Technology, and Innovation as their platinum partner for the ERTF; MTN as their payment partner; and other partners, including Steel & Tube, MOVIT Industries, Roofings Group, Euroflex Limited, Madhvan Group, UgaChick, Double Q, Coca-Cola, and Crown Beverages.

Additionally, Mbale Hospital, the Red Cross, NIRA, KCB Bank, EUGMS, and Baba TV were acknowledged as partners. The guest of honor, Umukuuka of Bagisu, started by expressing his gratitude to UMA for having driven industrialization and advocacy across the country since its establishment in 1988 and for bringing the opportunity to the Bugisu region.

He went on to appreciate Mbale SS for generously offering their grounds for the trade fair to take place and expressed that it’s through these partnerships that regional growth can be promoted.

His Royal Highness also thanked the government of Uganda for its commitment to supporting the private sector there through policies like Buy Uganda. This includes initiatives like Build Uganda and infrastructural support that create a reliable and secure environment for businesses to thrive.

He stressed that Bugisu is currently not just about their majestic fertile soils but a formidable powerhouse in the making, achievable through social capital, communal networks, rich cultural heritage, and the deep- seated culture of hard work and unity, just as Bugisu Cooperative Union and Bamasaaba Cooperative Union were established on that same social fabric.

Umukuuka also urged the Bamasaaba to turn their three cultural values; resilience, community, and forward movement, into real actions in industry, helping them become key players in adding value through processing, packaging, and branding, instead of just growing raw materials like Arabic coffee and other crops from Bugisu, which would help keep wealth in their communities.

He also stated that while internationally owned industries play a vital role in providing employment opportunities for many youths in Bugisu and significantly contribute to the country’s economic development, locally established industries must emulate these existing industries by becoming primary suppliers of raw materials for the supply chain and formalizing our trade networks.

In his conclusion, Umukuuka urged local innovators, artisans, and small and medium enterprises to rely on modern technology to improve product quality, reduce post-harvest losses, and meet regional standards.

Believing that culture and economics are intertwined, Umukuuka extended an invitation to the UMA for the Imbalu Festival, scheduled to take place between July and August 1, 2026, at the Mutoto Cultural and Heritage Centre.

This festival is expected to merge cultural vibrancy with trade, manufacturing, and innovation, thereby creating a massive market, generating parallel regional linkages, and officially opening the ERTF, which commenced on 5th June and is anticipated to continue.

The chairman of the Advisory Committee of UMA concluded the opening ceremony by thanking Umukuuka for permitting manufacturers to conduct business in the Bugisu region and for agreeing to host the UMA 14th ERTF in his area.

He also encouraged the executive of UMA to inform manufacturers about the opportunities identified in Mbale, expressed appreciation to the government for its support of the manufacturing sector through policy frameworks and incentives, and requested that the government approve their submitted budget aimed at promoting value addition.

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