Brenda K Opus

Passionate about nurturing SME's into exports of products and services.

[Sudhir Byaruhanga @Sudhirntv]

A family of six, including four children, have been struck dead by lightning in Nyanza Cell, Oleba Town Council, Maracha District, following a 5:00 am downpour.

[PACEID @paceidug]

We are pleased to join fellow partners and stakeholders at the Fundraising Breakfast hosted by PIBID/@birdcuganda at Mwesigwa Resort, ahead of the Olympic Day – Tooke Run scheduled for June 20, 2026 at Bushenyi Sports Ground with H.E. @KagutaMuseveni as the Chief Runner.

We are equally encouraged by the growing link between nutrition and sports development being championed through this initiative. Under the leadership of Rev. Prof. @floriemura, Nutrition Ambassador to @Official_UOC, the Olympic Day – Tooke Run is helping raise awareness about the critical role nutrition plays in athletic performance, youth development, and healthy communities.

[PACEID @paceidug]

PACEID yesterday joined other key stakeholders: @MAAIF_Uganda, @mtic_uganda, @ufzepa, @hortifreshffv, @FamuneraOnline and private sector, at the opening of the two-day Stakeholders Consultative Forum to Enhance Communication for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (FFV) Export Growth under the EU-Uganda SPS Project at Golden Tulip Hotel Kampala.

The forum seeks to strengthen communication strategies that support compliance with Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards and enhance Uganda's competitiveness in export markets for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Dr. Bill Okaka of CABI emphasized that communication remains one of the most critical, yet often overlooked, components of successful development interventions. "Communication is not that simple, yet it is highly ignored. Communication should be central to everything. Being an expert in your professional field does not automatically make one the best messenger," he noted.

For Uganda to expand exports of high-value fresh fruits and vegetables, communication must move beyond information sharing and become a strategic tool for awareness, compliance, market access, and stakeholder coordination.

[PACEID @paceidug]

The two-day Stakeholders Consultative Forum to Enhance Communication for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (FFV) Export Growth under the EU-Uganda SPS Project closed this afternoon with an interactive dialogue on the role of media in advancing Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) compliance and export growth.

The discussions focused on how to effectively leverage traditional and digital media platforms to increase awareness of SPS standards, communicate export opportunities, and bridge the information gap between policymakers, regulators, exporters, and farmers.

Participants also identified key communication gaps and opportunities within the SPS ecosystem and explored practical approaches for monitoring the impact of media coverage on awareness, compliance, and stakeholder engagement.

At PACEID, we believe communication is a strategic tool for economic transformation. A well-informed export ecosystem strengthens compliance, enhances market access, and contributes to Uganda's competitiveness in international markets.

We commend the organizers CABI for creating a platform that recognizes the media as a critical partner in promoting Uganda's export agenda and driving sustainable growth in the fresh fruits and vegetables sector.

[PACEID @paceidug]

We support the efforts of @tookeonline Director General Rev. Prof. @floriemura, in her role as Nutrition Ambassador to the @Official_UOC.

Ahead of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, she engaged with Uganda's young athletes, emphasizing the critical role of nutrition in sports performance, resilience, and overall wellbeing.

Her message was clear: "great athletes are built not only through training, but also through proper nutrition."

The interaction highlights the growing partnership between nutrition, sports, innovation, and youth development. Through initiatives such as the Olympic Day Tooke Run, stakeholders are championing a shared vision of empowering young people, promoting healthy lifestyles, and preparing Team Uganda for success on the global stage.

PACEID commends Prof. Muranga and the Uganda Olympic Committee for advancing this important agenda and inspiring the next generation of Ugandan champions.

[PACEID @paceidug]

To strengthen Uganda’s export value chains, PACEID has signed an MOU with Green Hydrogen Fertilizer Company (GHFC) to advance a farmer extension programme focused on fertilizer use and traceability, laying the foundation for increased yields, improved quality, and global export competitiveness.

"Fertiliser is not just an input, it is a catalyst for higher yields, better quality, and stronger export value chains. That is why this collaboration is central to PACEID’s export agenda." @matthewbagonza who signed for PACEID.

GHFC is currently developing a fertiliser production facility in Uganda, with a projected capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year.
@AsmundAukrust @MEMD_Uganda

[PACEID @paceidug]

Our Chairman @OdrekRwabwogo met European Global Gateway officials (@AnoukBaron @GerrmannM) in The Hague this week, calling for aggregation centres to lower logistics costs and boost Uganda’s export competitiveness across global markets.

"Aggregation centres are key to stable supply and credible exports,” he said during engagements at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Netherlands Enterprise Agency, where PACEID advanced logistics and multimodal transport solutions.

[PACEID @paceidug]

We welcome the growing progress at the Spiro E-Bike Assembly Plant at @KIBP_Namanve as a strong signal of Uganda’s industrial future and the role assembly can play in building a wider manufacturing ecosystem. After years of engagement and support, a visit to the plant reaffirmed the strategic value of patient investment in assembly, skills development, and local industrial linkages.

Chairman @OdrekRwabwogo observed that Uganda must now move beyond appreciating the presence of assembly plants and instead focus on identifying which components can be locally produced.

At @SpiroUganda, several opportunities already exist for local manufacturing and supply, including steel frames, plastic battery casings, rubber components, foot holders, and selected electrical parts.

[PACEID @paceidug]

Ibanda District Speaker Godwin Oulanya describes our visit as a turning point for the district, noting that it had inspired both political & technical leaders to rethink their approach to local economic development.

“We are greatly encouraged by PACEID's visit. @OdrekRwabwogo's engagement with our farmers/entrepreneurs/leaders has opened our eyes to the opportunities in aggregation, value addition & export markets. This visit has awakened us to do things differently and work more closely with our communities to drive production, create jobs, and position Ibanda for both local and international trade,” he said.

[PACEID @paceidug]

We spent the day in Ibanda district speaking to district council members & technical officers about the role of local governments (opportunities and potential) in export promotion and industrial development.
Watch Chairman @OdrekRwabwogo remarks👇
https://t.co/EFE42ZFHM1

[Odrek Rwabwogo @OdrekRwabwogo]

When public institutions begin to make their history accessible to the young and curate their past for future generations, it gives the impression that our modern Ugandan state is developing.

Makerere University's opening of its own museum dedicated to the last 100 years offers a valuable opportunity for many young people to understand how our higher education system was shaped by the colonial legacy and how much of that continues to influence us as we prepare for the future.

I commend MAKERERE for embracing the enterprise sector and for partnering with Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation to advance research, policy, and entrepreneurship. I also thank the Mutebile family for opening their library and archives to the younger generation. It was a pleasure to join our elders, Former Prime Ministers Ruhakana Rugunda and Amama MBABAZI, along with Mzee Matthew Rukikaire, to witness this occasion at MAKERERE University's Vice Chancellor’s office.

[Odrek Rwabwogo @OdrekRwabwogo]

📍Addis Ababa seems to change daily with fresh layers of transportation, energy, and other forms of infrastructure, and it reminded me of something important.

Nations do not become competitive by accident. They design systems and disrupt their culture positively to get to their destination, prosperity, strength, and a place in the world.

We visited the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute under the leadership of Dr. Taye Girma, and the Federal Police Command Centre, where the Commissioner General, Mr. Demelash Gebremichael, and his team, took us through their integrated security architecture. We also observed operations at a Smart Policing Station functioning at street level.

What stood out was not the sophistication of machines. It was the discipline of integration and the commitment to compete with the best in the world of robotics, engineering, agricultural value addition, and machine learning.

Artificial Intelligence is not treated as a fashion. It is embedded in institutions.

Security is not reactive. It is data-driven.

Citizen reports generate digital footprints. Criminal and civil Cases are tracked. Delays are visible. Accountability is structured into the architecture itself, and there are consequences for failure.

Why does this matter for exports?

Export growth is not only about producing more coffee, beef, or manufactured goods. It is about reducing friction in the system. It is about credibility. It is about trust. These issues are resolved partly by the discipline of a country and the collection and effective use of data to plan better every day.

A buyer in Europe or Asia does not see our speeches. They see our reliability.

If certification takes too long, if logistics are unpredictable, if systems are fragmented, we lose competitiveness.

The lesson from Addis Ababa is clear: policy must move from paper to platforms, and our data must not sit in siloes but be integrated to help exporters.

If we are serious about growing Uganda’s exports, we must digitise compliance, integrate data across agencies, shorten approval cycles, and build transparent systems that inspire confidence.

Technology is not the goal. Discipline is.

Exports are grown in systems, not slogans.

We must build ours.

[PACEID @paceidug]

PACEID | 2025 Year in Review

In 2025, we stayed focused on one mission: growing Uganda’s exports by strengthening production, building skills, and coordinating action across the entire value chain.

From communities to global markets, from farmer aggregation and artisan training to value-added exports and new trade partnerships, the results speak for themselves. Exports are rising, value addition is taking root, and Uganda is positioning itself as a reliable, competitive supplier to the world.

Exports do not begin at the port. They begin with people, planning, and purpose.

The work continues.

[PACEID @paceidug]

Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) compliance determines whether our products enter premium markets.
@MAAIF_Uganda is emphasizing:
🔹Safe production
🔹Good handling
🔹Proper documentation
Uganda is strengthening SPS systems to boost competitiveness.
@ufzepa
#UgandaExports

[Odrek Rwabwogo @OdrekRwabwogo]

Received the ten-person Ethiopian delegation this morning at PACEID headquarters in Naguru. The team is here to attend the second Uganda Connect International Buyers week, starting Wednesday, November 26, at Speke Resort MUNYONYO.
HE President Yoweri Museveni will open the event. The Ethiopian delegation is looking for opportunities in agro processing, finance, banking, and construction

[PACEID @paceidug]

At the 4th Uganda-UAE Business Forum 2025, our Director of Markets, Ms. @BrendaOpus emphasized that the two countries share complementary strength, Uganda’s agricultural products and manufacturing potential and the UAE’s leadership in logistics, finance, and technology. Through strategic partnerships between chambers and private sector institutions, these synergies can deliver tangible trade outcomes.

“Our goal is to double Uganda’s exports by 2028, with the UAE as a critical gateway to the Gulf region and beyond.”

[PACEID @paceidug]

Our Markets Director, Brenda Katarikawe yesterday visited De Heus Fish Feed factory and Yalelo Fish Processing factory in Jinja. H.E. Reinette Klever, Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, and Hon. @HellenAdoa, Uganda’s State Minister for Fisheries, graced the occasion.

Ms. @BrendaOpus witnessed the signing of a letter of intent by the two countries to promote the development of Uganda's aquaculture sector.

This partnership will not only enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries, but also reduce fish feed importation costs, increase fish farming, and provide much-needed job opportunities for young people in Uganda.

[PACEID @paceidug]

Our Markets Director, Brenda Katarikawe yesterday visited De Heus Fish Feed factory and Yalelo Fish Processing factory in Jinja. H.E. Reinette Klever, Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, and Hon. @HellenAdoa, Uganda’s State Minister for Fisheries, graced the occasion.

Ms. @BrendaOpus witnessed the sighing of a letter of intent by the two countries to promote the development of Uganda's aquaculture sector.

This partnership will not only enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries, but also reduce fish feed importation costs, increase fish farming, and provide much-needed job opportunities for young people in Uganda.

[Endiro Coffee @EndiroCoffee]

UPDATE about our Aurora locations.

[Amos Wekesa @wekesa_amos]

Consulates are done by individuals who desire to represent a country using their own money….

Looking at this, i think we need more people like this! This is actually impressive.