Uganda’s infrastructure ambitions, with particular focus on the transformation of Kampala, will take a prominent place at the 16th UK–Africa Investment Summit 2026, bringing together senior government officials, investors, financiers, engineers and private-sector leaders to examine how major infrastructure projects can move from planning to financing and delivery.
The Summit will take place on Friday, 11 September 2026, at The Royal Horseguards Hotel and One Whitehall Place in London under the theme, “Trade Corridors and Industrial Platforms: From Access to Production.”
The programme is structured around capital mobilisation, project bankability, public-private partnerships, export finance and the practical delivery of infrastructure and industrial projects.
Kampala’s Urban Infrastructure Investment Requirement
For Uganda, the discussion comes at an important point in the country’s development. Kampala continues to expand rapidly as Uganda’s principal commercial, administrative and investment centre.
This growth is placing increasing pressure on drainage, sewerage, roads, transport, waste management, water systems and other essential urban infrastructure.
Approximate length of Kampala’s drainage network across eight major drainage catchments: Nakivubo, Lubigi, Walufumbe, Nalukolongo, Kansanga, Kinawataka, Nakamiro and Mayanja.
These systems are critical to protecting homes, businesses, roads and other economic assets from flooding and increasingly intense rainfall.
Kampala Drainage Master Plan
A central priority will therefore be mobilising long-term investment to implement and strengthen the Kampala Drainage Master Plan.
KCCA has previously identified major drainage interventions involving Nakamiro, Lubigi, Nalukolongo, Kansanga and Kinawataka as part of efforts to address persistent flooding across the capital.
“Infrastructure investment must translate into productive economic capacity.”
Modernising Kampala’s Sewerage and Sanitation Infrastructure
The investment conversation will extend well beyond drainage.
Another priority is the modernisation and expansion of Kampala’s centralised sewerage and sanitation infrastructure. A growing metropolitan population requires significantly greater wastewater collection, treatment and disposal capacity.
Investment will be needed in sewer networks, treatment facilities, pumping systems, connections and associated infrastructure to support residential, commercial and industrial development while protecting public health and the environment.
The Summit will provide an opportunity to examine how these projects can be structured as commercially credible programmes capable of attracting institutional investors, development finance, export credit and experienced international engineering partners.
Uganda’s wider urban development agenda is also represented in the 2026 speaker programme. Hon. Judith Nabakooba, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, is expected to contribute to discussions covering planned urban growth, housing, drainage, roads, water, waste management, climate-resilient infrastructure and the investment frameworks needed to support Uganda’s expanding cities.
Infrastructure and Delivery Panel
A dedicated infrastructure discussion will bring together government, engineering, finance and private-sector perspectives on how Uganda and other African markets can convert infrastructure priorities into bankable and deliverable projects.
Session Moderator
The session will focus on the practical requirements for infrastructure delivery, including project preparation, financing structures, risk allocation, engineering capacity, public-private partnerships, procurement, export credit and long-term project management.
Infrastructure Leaders Joining the Programme
A former Joint Chair of the UK Department for Business and Trade’s Africa Infrastructure Board, Oliver is expected to address project preparation, export finance, procurement, PPP structures, risk allocation and the transition of major projects from concept to execution.
His work covers power generation, transmission and distribution, substations, rural and urban electrification and major engineering services across African markets. His contribution will focus on power infrastructure, grid expansion, utility procurement, project finance and infrastructure delivery partnerships.
His contribution will examine what makes major infrastructure projects investable, including governance, project preparation, risk allocation, blended finance and institutional investor confidence.
His programme contribution will address roads, rail, ports, logistics networks, infrastructure bankability and the connectivity required to support manufacturing, mining, energy and regional trade.
From Infrastructure Needs to Bankable Projects
The UK–Africa Investment Summit 2026 programme places particular emphasis on moving beyond general investment promotion towards projects that can demonstrate clear financing requirements, credible sponsors, viable revenue structures, appropriate risk allocation and defined pathways towards financial close.
The Summit’s infrastructure programme will consider grid expansion, transport corridors, climate-resilient infrastructure, PPP concessions, EPC and financing structures, project risk and the commercial conditions required to attract long-term investors.
The programme also calls for qualified projects to leave the Summit with defined next steps, including due diligence, investor engagement, consortium formation, documentation requirements and 30, 60 and 90-day implementation milestones.
For Kampala, this approach could create an important platform for presenting infrastructure requirements not simply as development challenges, but as structured investment opportunities.
Drainage improvement, sewerage expansion, roads, urban mobility, water infrastructure, waste management, affordable housing, renewable energy and digital urban systems all require substantial capital and technical expertise.
They also create opportunities for British and international engineering companies, infrastructure funds, banks, export credit agencies, technology providers and institutional investors seeking long-term participation in one of East Africa’s fastest-growing urban economies.
The wider objective is to establish partnerships capable of delivering infrastructure that supports businesses, improves mobility, reduces the economic impact of flooding, strengthens sanitation, enables industrial development and improves quality of life for Kampala’s residents.
Uganda will therefore use the UK–Africa Investment Summit to advance a clear proposition: infrastructure investment must translate into productive economic capacity.
The discussion around Kampala will focus not only on what needs to be built, but on how priority projects can be financed, structured, implemented and maintained.
By bringing government decision-makers together with financiers, engineers, contractors, investors and project developers, the Summit aims to help turn infrastructure priorities into investable programmes and long-term partnerships.
UK–Africa Investment Summit 2026
The 16th UK–Africa Investment Summit 2026 will take place on Friday, 11 September 2026, at The Royal Horseguards Hotel & One Whitehall Place, 2 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EJ.
The Summit brings together senior decision-makers from government, finance and industry to advance investment, infrastructure, trade corridors and production-led growth between the United Kingdom and Africa.
The 2026 theme is “Trade Corridors and Industrial Platforms: From Access to Production.”
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