Uganda ambassador woos Chinese traders to boost trade

Uganda’s ambassador to China, Oliver Wonekha, says she has established relationships with her host country’s businesspeople who are willing to work with Ugandans in every aspect of their lives.

This is contained in an online video recorded by Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the first Uganda-China coffee tour 2025.

Wonekha says in this particular trip, their Chinese friends want to demonstrate their relationships with Ugandans through coffee trade, among other things.

She notes that traditionally, the Chinese drink tea and in her three years there, she has learnt that they have over 100 types of the drink, but they now want to drink coffee as well.

“So, the team that is here (in Uganda) would like to see where this coffee comes from, who farms it and the story behind it. I have been telling them we have the best coffee in the world,” she said.

The ambassador stressed that the Chinese are in Uganda to satisfy their curiosity and for Ugandans to strike deals with them because most of them are coffee business people.

She urged Ugandans to continue to take care of their coffee gardens and the processes of value-addition, knowing that they have Chinese friends and partners who are going to work with them.

“And please, look out for Chinese companies,” Wonekha, who also said Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni are good friends, implored Ugandans.

The delegation is powered by Uganda’s embassy in China’s capital, Beijing and its consulate in Guangzhou city.

The relations between the two countries have greatly improved since the formal establishment of diplomatic ties in October 1962.

According to Uganda’s foreign affairs ministry, bilateral trade has grown steadily, with around 200 Chinese firms operating in Uganda in 2023.

By the end of 2023, the bilateral trade volumes grew to $1.3b, of which Uganda’s exports to China increased to $70m (19.6%).

During the week-long China International Import Expo in November 2023, Ugandan companies signed deals to supply over 30 tonnes of roasted coffee and another 29 containers of green coffee to their Chinese counterparts. 

China is Uganda’s biggest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with Investments ranging from industries in the manufacturing sector to road construction.
In 2023, China’s FDI in Uganda reached $55.7m, ranking 17th among all African countries.