Nile breweries trains over 300 Gulu retailers on business growth 

6 July 2026, 10:31 am

By Walter Kidega

More than 300 bar owners, retailers and stockiest in Gulu City have benefited from a business skills training organized by Nile Breweries Limited under its Growing Retailers Innovatively Together (GRIT) programme.

The training, held at Boma Hotel on Friday 3rd July 2026, focused on improving financial management, customer care, stock control, environmental conservation and responsible alcohol retailing.

Speaking during the training, the Head of Corporate Affairs at Nile Breweries Limited, Emmanuel Njuki, said the GRIT programme is being rolled out across the country to strengthen the businesses of retailers, who are key partners in the company’s value chain.

Njuki said Gulu City is the first stop of the program, with Nile Breweries targeting to train more than 1,500 retailers nationwide this year.

Njuki also raised concern over the increasing consumption of illicit alcohol in Uganda, saying more than 65 percent of alcohol consumed in the country is unregulated and unsafe, exposing consumers to serious health risks.

Njuki further noted that Nile Breweries sources about 95 percent of its raw materials locally, including sorghum, barley, cassava and maize, from over 25,000 farmers across Uganda. He said the company invests about 92 billion shillings annually in buying produce from farmers while also supplying improved seed varieties and training to boost production.

Meanwhile, Pamela Luryatemba, the Mass Market Manager at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), encouraged retailers to embrace voluntary savings through the Smart Life Flexi scheme.

She explained that following amendments to the NSSF Act in 2022, every Ugandan can now save with the Fund, starting from as little as 500 shillings, regardless of employment status.

Also speaking at the event, Charles Kilama Okidi, the Northern Uganda Distribution Manager at Nile Breweries, said the company is committed not only to selling beverages but also to helping its retail partners build profitable and sustainable businesses.

He said the GRIT programme equips retailers with skills in customer service, financial discipline and environmental management, including proper disposal and return of empty and broken bottles to the factory for recycling.

Okidi also informed participants that the wholesale price of a crate of Club Beer 500ml has increased from 58,500 shillings to 66,500 shillings, citing the rising cost of doing business in Uganda.

One of the participants, Lamunu Lucy, a bar owner from Bar Dege Airfield shop in Gulu City, described the training as timely. However, she appealed to Nile Breweries to address the inconsistent pricing of beer across different outlets and concerns raised by customers about variations in the taste of some products