Uganda has joined the Roosevelt Africa Trail, a cross-continental socio-economic initiative positioning tourism, coffee, agriculture and conservation, export-driven industries and the United States in an effort to enhance trade.
The trail is inspired by former United States President Theodore Roosevelt, who, in 1909, undertook an expedition to Africa to collect plant and animal specimens for the newly established Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
Roosevelt travelled to East Africa, arriving in Mombasa on April 21, 1909 before beginning a journey that would span more than nine months across the continent.
The expedition, documented by his son Kermit Roosevelt, himself a one-of-encounters with people, cultures, landscapes and civilisations from Mombasa through Kenya, Uganda, Belgium, the Congo and back to Khartoum, was a significant source of cultural exchange.
The Smithsonian has since expanded and continues to commemorate the expedition with the Smithsonian African Expedition, among others, highlighting Roosevelt’s legacy.
Mr Sentongo says this positioning is further amplified by the upcoming opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on July 4, 2026, coinciding with America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Earlier, the potential of this project was outlined at two-day meetings in New York City, which brought together government officials, private sector partners and technology firms, according to a statement from Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Moderated by historian Jonathan Earle, the discussions explored how Roosevelt’s encounter with Kabaka Daudi Chwa influenced his political legacy.
‘The Roosevelt Africa Trail not only reminds American buyers and Ugandan entrepreneurs of a time of powerful cultural diplomacy between the two countries during the early 1900s, but creates an unprecedented brand.
‘Today and in the future, that broadens and promotes numerous Ugandan products and the coffee market to buyers throughout the United States: in homes, museums, and everyday shops, further tapping into a coffee industry valued at over $43.2 billion annually, up 52.4 percent since 2015,’ said Mr Earle.
Coffee market
Kahawa 1893 CEO Margaret Nyamuwombo said the company has over 1,500 retail outlets in the US.
‘Under the partnership, up to 450,000 tonnes of coffee annually could be unlocked, potentially Uganda’s largest single coffee supply deal,’ she said.