Uganda launches cooperative education programme

23 September 2026, 10:24 am

By Ronald Ssemagonja

Uganda has launched a cooperative education programme aimed at enabling higher education institutions to train students in cooperative management and offer qualifications ranging from diplomas to PhDs.

The programme was launched yesterday during the National Cooperative Conference 2026 held at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) in Nakawa, Kampala.

The conference was convened by the Uganda Cooperative Alliance in partnership with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

The initiative comes as government and cooperative-sector stakeholders seek to strengthen the role of cooperatives in savings, investment, agricultural production, value addition and improving household incomes.

The Third Deputy Prime Minister, Rukia Isanga Nakadama, who represented President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the conference, said cooperatives remain important drivers of socio-economic transformation through savings mobilisation, access to finance, improved production and markets, and increased household incomes.

Nakadama urged cooperatives to move beyond commodity production and participate across the entire value chain, while strengthening governance, accountability, financial sustainability and the use of technology.

State Minister for Cooperatives Tom Alero Aza also emphasised the importance of leadership and good governance, particularly in Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs).

MUBS plans to begin teaching cooperative-related courses in 2027, with students expected to pursue diploma and degree programmes in the field.

The General Secretary of the Uganda Cooperative Alliance, CPA Ivan Asiimwe, described the introduction of cooperative education as a major milestone in efforts to professionalise the cooperative sector.