First Ever UK-East Africa Trade & Investment Forum Shines Spotlight on EAC
The United Kingdom-East Africa Trade and Investment Forum (#UETIF) 2025 took place in at The May Fair in London from 21 to 22 May 2025. The event was organized by DMA Invest, in collaboration with UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Eastern Africa Association (EAA).
The Forum explored business opportunities in the East African Community (#EAC) with a focus on the three key economies of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The investment promotion agencies from these countries were thus present. Some 500 delegates gathered at The May Fair Hotel to exchange with policymakers and network with industry leaders.
During the welcome address, UK Minister for Africa, Lord Collins, reiterated that the UK is in East Africa for the long-term and this first edition of the Forum will lay the foundation for a pipeline of projects and investments. He also pleaded for further reforms that are investment-friendly in order to enhance mutual growth and benefits.
At the Forum, a host of themes were explored including #AfCFTA, #EnergyTransition, #Fintech, Local Value Addition (#LVA) for Agriculture, and Healthcare Innovation. The second day scheduled several country pitches where investment promotion agencies presented bankable projects to potential investors.
During the Ministerial Fireside Chat moderated by the UK Trade Commissioner John Humphrey, Ugandan Minister of Works and Transport Edward Katumba-Wamala, Kenyan Ministry of Investments Principal Secretary Hassan Abubakar, and Tanzanian Ministry of Minerals Deputy Permanent Secretary Lameck Mbibo outlined their National Development Plans (#NDP) and shared their country’s economic priorities.
“We welcome the UK-East Africa Trade and Investment Forum 2025 as a platform to highlight Uganda’s vibrant trade and investment opportunities. By engaging with UK investors and partners, we aim to enhance our trade infrastructure, diversify our export markets, and drive sustainable development. We hope this forum will explore ways to leverage trade and investment to accelerate progress towards our Ten-Fold Growth Strategy, unlocking new opportunities for growth and development.”
Ugandan Minister for Trade Mwebesa Francis
During the Forum, the UK announced two major deals. The British International Investment (BII) and Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) will create a USD 100 million fund to derisk cross-border trade in support of the regional economic integration in EAC and the larger AfCFTA. Businesses which advance #GenderEquality and #WomenEmpowerment will receive special attention as part of the ‘2X Challenge’ program. In addition, BII is investing USD 5 million in ARC Ride to roll out 5,000 electric motorbikes in Kenya as the project is line with the transition to #GreenMobility.
The British International Investment (BII) and the UK Export Finance (UKEF) are two agencies which are playing a transformative role through impact investment across Africa. In West and Central Africa, the #UKEF has increased its stake from a mere GBP 3 million to GBP 1.2 billion in a relatively short timeframe thanks in part to similar events in that region.