By Aggrey Baba
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to take advantage of emerging financing options and strategic business tools to boost resilience, expand their operations, and align with Uganda’s development goals.
This call was made during the second edition of a Business Clinic held at Kololo, bringing together entrepreneurs in key sectors including renewable energy, agribusiness, low-cost housing, and tech-enabled services.
The clinic provided a practical forum for business owners to engage experts on challenges such as access to finance, enterprise management, and building sustainable business models.
Participants, drawn from various regions and sectors, walked away with hands-on guidance and information on tailored financing opportunities designed to support high-impact enterprises.
Speaking at the event, Michael Mugabi, one of the key organizers of the event, underscored the importance of deliberately engaging with Uganda’s small business sector. He said SMEs remain the country’s greatest engines of innovation, job creation, and inclusive development.
“This clinic is not just a knowledge-sharing platform. It is a strategic effort to directly address the unique challenges that SMEs face. When we empower these enterprises, we invest in more than their success, we accelerate Uganda’s transformation, Muhani said
A major highlight of the event was the unveiling of a strategic partnership with the Uganda Green Enterprise Finance Accelerator (UGEFA), a project supported by the European Union.
The partnership aims to unlock green financing options for small businesses involved in sustainable initiatives. Under the collaboration, entrepreneurs can access financial products like flexible SME loans and green financing schemes, including the Partial Repayment Scheme, which allows businesses to have up to one-third of their loan principal covered as a grant.
Officials said this initiative speaks directly to Uganda’s broader ambitions under Vision 2040 and the global Sustainable Development Goals, especially those focused on climate action, employment, and innovation.
The clinic also provided a platform for showcasing partnerships aimed at addressing Uganda’s persistent housing deficit. A case in point is the collaboration with Easy Housing, a developer using eco-friendly materials and fast-construction methods to deliver affordable homes.
Organizers revealed that through such partnerships, developers can access customized development financing options that meet both affordability and environmental standards.
Organizers said such clinics will continue throughout the year as part of a wider strategy to foster entrepreneurship, stimulate innovation, and provide a backbone of support to Uganda’s job-generating enterprises.
“Every thriving SME adds value to the national economy,” Mugabi noted, adding that when businesses grow, communities grow, and so does the country. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
