The World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) has recognized the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) for being the Outstanding Investment Promotion Agency (IPA).
This was at the 30th WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards on November 10 that took place in Geneva, Switzerland.
WAIPA are global awards established by the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) to recognize Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) that have demonstrated excellence in attracting, facilitating, and retaining investment, as well as in contributing to sustainable development.
Ambassador Marcel Tibaleka, Uganda’s permanent representative to the United Nations, received the award on behalf of UIA.
The award is a special recognition of UIA’s excellence in investment promotion and its outstanding contribution to attracting investment to Uganda.
Established in 1995, WAIPA serves as the global umbrella organization for IPAs from over 110 countries. The awards aim to identify and celebrate best practices, foster peer learning, and showcase how IPAs drive economic transformation and sustainable development beyond traditional promotional functions.
So, the recognition comes as Uganda pursues an ambitious economic transformation agenda, targeting a 10-fold growth of the economy from $50 billion to $500 billion by 2040, with a focus on value addition and industrialisation in agriculture, tourism, mineral development and science and technology.
WAIPA, in acknowledging the award, emphasized the role of agencies like UIA in driving sustainable development.
“The WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards recognize those IPAs that go beyond traditional promotion to facilitating investment that transforms economies and improves lives,” a WAIPA statement read.
“UIA’s recognition reflects a commitment to excellence that we hope will inspire peer agencies across the globe.”
Meanwhile, Robert Mukiza, the UIA director general who has led the authority since 2021, describes the award as a collective achievement. Under his leadership, UIA has streamlined investor services through the One-Stop Centre, reducing the time required to issue investment licenses from 48 hours to 24 hours, and has mobilised more than 57,000 acres of land for industrial development nationwide.
“This global recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of the entire UIA team and our partners across government,” he says.
“We have worked tirelessly to reposition Uganda as a competitive investment destination, and to be recognised by WAIPA is deeply humbling. But this is just the beginning. Our focus now is on converting this recognition into real investments, real jobs, and real transformation for the Ugandan people.”