Uganda has appealed to its diaspora in the Republic of Korea to channel capital, skills and technology back home, as the two countries prepare to open a trade and investment meeting aimed at deepening commercial ties.
The appeal was made at a diaspora outreach hosted by Uganda’s embassy in Tokyo, which is accredited to Korea, at the 88 Hotel in Seoul on Saturday. The meeting formed part of the preparatory and side activities ahead of the Uganda–Korea Trade and Investment Meeting, scheduled for 6 to 10 September 2026 and organized in partnership with the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), which is aimed at strengthening trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.
The engagement brought together members of the Ugandan community in Korea, government officials, and other stakeholders to discuss the role of the diaspora in Uganda’s national development, investment promotion, trade opportunities and economic diplomacy
Uganda’s Ambassador to Korea, resident in Tokyo, H.E Tophace Kaahwa, urged the community to support the government’s economic and commercial diplomacy agenda through investment, technology transfer, tourism and capacity building. She said the embassy remained available to serve Ugandans in Korea and that its doors were open to the entire diaspora community.
Amb. Kaahwa said the government regarded the diaspora as “grassroots ambassadors” whose remittances and expertise were central to national growth. She pointed to opportunities in tourism, mineral development, science and technology, and agro-business, said increased power generation was helping to move the economy to a higher gear, and encouraged Ugandans in Korea to register for national identification cards.
She said a high-level delegation from Uganda, led by the Second Deputy Prime Minister, had travelled for the engagement, and described the Ugandan community in Korea including its football and marathon talent as an asset in deepening diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries.
Delivering the keynote address, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Ugandan Delegation, The Rt Hon Dr.Crispus Kiyonga, conveyed greetings from President Yoweri
Dr. Kiyonga said Uganda was secure and stable, and briefed the community on the economy, which he put at about USD 70billion. He said the government aimed to grow the size of the economy to USD 500 billion by 2040.
On infrastructure, Dr Kiyonga said government has invested heavily in road transportation to ease movements and speed up economic activity, and that the railway was being extended from Nairobi to Kampala. He urged Ugandans in Korea to remain proud ambassadors of their country, uphold unity and keep in close contact with the embassy.
In his presentation, Ambassador Muhindo said the government was developing a comprehensive diaspora policy to improve coordination, communication and access to government services, describing it as a milestone for the sector. He said the diaspora had previously been “scattered and fragmented”, and that Diaspora policy consultations already largely completed in North America and Europe were now moving to Asia and other regions. He encouraged Ugandans in Korea to attend the Uganda Diaspora Convention, scheduled for 18 to 22 December 2026, and to share the knowledge and technology acquired in Korea through mentorship on their return home, noting that the convention, first held in 2024, had helped to draw Ugandans back home.
Ambassador Henry Mayega, representing the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, recognised the diaspora’s contribution through remittances, investment and expertise. He said Ugandans abroad were key stakeholders in delivering the government’s priority sectors of agro-industrialisation, tourism, mineral development, and science, technology and innovation (ATMS), alongside government agencies, the private sector and the chamber of commerce. He called for unity and continued participation in the country’s industrialization
The Honorary Consul of Uganda in Busan, Dr Kim Jin Bo, praised the growing friendship between Uganda and the Republic of Korea and urged Ugandans to apply the skills and experience gained in Korea to Uganda’s development, describing the diaspora as a valuable channel of communication between the two governments and peoples.
Earlier the President of the Ugandans in South Korea Association, Hamza Kyamanywa, welcomed the delegation and said the association was working to build a united and vibrant community. He reported that 654 Ugandans were living in Korea as of 31 July 2026 — 407 men and 247 women — many of them students, employees and entrepreneurs. Kyamanywa, who said he had lived in Korea for eight years, arriving as a student before becoming an employee and then an entrepreneur, said the community remained closely connected to home and was contributing to Uganda both directly and indirectly.
During an open session, participants raised issues including professional growth, sport and the welfare of Ugandans married to Korean nationals. Several noted the challenge posed by the absence of a resident Uganda embassy in Korea, with consular services currently run from Tokyo.
The outreach was one of several diaspora and business engagements built around the Uganda–Korea Trade and Investment Meeting, which opens on 6 September.
