UG Catalyst Summit launched as Uganda pushes for enterprise growth amid struggles of small businesses
At a time when many of Uganda’s small business owners are being pushed to the margins, a new national platform is promising to place enterprises at the center of the country’s economic future. The National Planning Authority, in partnership with Innovation Village Hub, has officially launched the UG Catalyst Summit, a national execution platform designed to accelerate delivery of Uganda’s growth agenda under the National Development Plan IV (NDP IV), with enterprise at the center of implementation.
Anchored in the ATMS priority sectors of Agro-Industrialization, Tourism Development, including creative industries, Mineral Development including oil and gas, and Science, Technology and Innovation, the Summit is structured to translate national priorities into enterprise-led growth by linking businesses to markets, capital, and coordinated support systems. Uganda’s ambition to achieve tenfold economic growth is supported by a strong policy framework, but the immediate challenge remains how to translate this into tangible outcomes for businesses on the ground.
This launch comes at a moment when many small and micro enterprises in Kampala are navigating a difficult transition. In recent months, street vendors and small-scale traders have been cleared from walkways, road reserves, and other unauthorized public spaces following a directive by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to restore trade order in the capital. While the move has been welcomed by some for improving the city’s appearance and organization, it has also disrupted the livelihoods of many Ugandans who depend on informal trade for survival.
Many small enterprise owners, particularly young people, are now faced with the reality of starting again with limited capital and fewer accessible spaces to operate from. Although KCCA leadership, including Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki, indicated that space had been provided in city markets for relocation, representatives of street vendors such as Kenneth Kazibwe have challenged this position, arguing that the available spaces are either insufficient or not accessible to many vendors. For some, the suggestion to transition to online platforms presents an additional hurdle, given the barriers of digital access, affordability, and skills.
Uganda’s private sector is predominantly driven by micro, small, and medium enterprises, which account for over 90 percent of businesses and contribute between 70 and 80 percent of employment. Despite this central role, many enterprises remain constrained by limited access to structured markets, weak integration into value chains, and misalignment between available capital and enterprise readiness. These challenges have become even more visible in the current environment, where informal businesses are being displaced without clear and immediate pathways for reintegration.
The UG Catalyst Summit seeks to respond to these gaps by aligning systems, markets, and investment around enterprise growth, enabling businesses to scale and contribute more effectively to national and sector outcomes. As noted by Rita Ngenzi, “Uganda’s growth agenda is grounded in a clear and robust national plan. The priority now is ensuring that enterprises are effectively positioned within that system to deliver measurable results. This requires deliberate alignment of enterprise pipelines with market opportunities, capital, and coordinated institutional support.”
From a national planning perspective, Asumani Gulobi emphasized the need for stronger coordination, stating, “From a national planning perspective, the priority is ensuring that enterprises can contribute directly and measurably to NDP IV outcomes. This requires stronger alignment between policy, enterprise development systems, and investment flows.”
A central feature of the Summit is the Opportunity Dashboard, a national digital intelligence platform that will provide real-time visibility into enterprise pipelines, sector opportunities, and performance, enabling more informed decision-making and tracking of enterprise contribution to economic growth.
Scheduled to take place from 25 to 26 June 2026, and aligned with International MSME Day on 27 June, the Summit is positioned as part of a broader effort to connect policy with execution. It brings together public and private sector actors with the aim of organizing financing, market opportunities, and institutional support around enterprise pipelines.
Yet, as Uganda moves toward a more structured and coordinated model of enterprise-led growth, the question remains whether such initiatives will reach those currently most affected by ongoing enforcement measures. For many small business owners, the immediate concern is not scaling within value chains, but regaining stability, securing affordable operating space, and rebuilding daily income streams.
The success of the UG Catalyst Summit will ultimately depend on how well it bridges this gap between national ambition and lived reality. As the country works toward long-term growth targets, ensuring that small and informal enterprises are not left behind will be essential, not only for economic performance but for inclusive and sustainable development.
