Uganda has hosted a high-level policy dialogue on the domestication and implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration and the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan 2026-2035.
The three-day dialogue, which brought together senior government officials, the African Union Commission and representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, aimed to advance the translation of continental commitments into national action, investment and measurable development outcomes.
It builds on Uganda’s hosting of the extraordinary African Union Summit in January 2025, which adopted the Kampala CAADP Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Africa, alongside the continental Strategy and Action Plan for 2026-2035, which prioritises sustainable food production and agro-industrialisation, among other areas.
The State Minister for Animal Industry, Lt Col (Rtd) Bright Rwamirama, said Uganda’s central task is to convert its agricultural potential into higher household incomes, employment, food and nutrition security, competitive agro-industries, increased exports and resilient livelihoods.
He noted that implementation would be anchored in Uganda Vision 2040, National Development Plan IV (NDP IV), the National Resistance Movement (NRM) manifesto 2026-2031 and the Agro-Industrialisation Programme Implementation Action Plan (NASIP), rather than creating a parallel policy framework.
The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr Sanjay Tana, said: ‘Sustaining agricultural growth requires Uganda to move further from production towards agro-processing, value addition, branding, market positioning and export development.’
He added: ‘Opportunities across milk, coffee, tea, honey, shea butter, and fruit value chains, underscore the importance of connecting production with international markets.’
AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Moses Vilakati, called for collective action to move the Kampala Declaration from commitments to implementation and measurable results.
Later, while meeting the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation, Mr Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo, as part of the programme, Commissioner Vilakati emphasised the importance of stronger continental cooperation to support farmers through improved access to fertiliser, extension services, climate-smart agriculture, technology and markets.
Mr Kasolo underscored the importance of facilitating the movement of agricultural products, expanding market access and strengthening regional trade, and reiterated his ministry’s commitment to coordinating and nurturing a successful relationship between the government and the AU in implementing the CAADP Kampala Declaration.
Minister Counsellor Margaret Kafeero, who accompanied the delegation from Uganda’s Embassy in Addis Ababa and represented Ambassador Rebecca Amuge Otengo, said: ‘The visit connects opportunities for the Permanent Mission of Uganda to the African Union in Addis Ababa to strengthen connections between Uganda’s productive sectors and continental and international markets.’ The dialogue was concluded on September 11, 2026.