JINJA: Busoga is preparing to write a new chapter in its economic history as the region gears up to host the inaugural Busoga Coffee & Cocoa Tourism Festival (BCCTFEST) 2026, a first-of-its-kind annual regional platform designed to position Busoga as Uganda’s emerging destination for coffee, cocoa, agribusiness, tourism and sustainable investment.
The festival will take place from 18th to 20th September 2026 at Jinja Showgrounds, bringing together thousands of participants from across Uganda and beyond. Individual Farmers, farmer groups, cooperatives, SACCOs, processors, exporters, buyers, investors, tourism operators, development agencies, researchers, policymakers, financial institutions, local governments, entrepreneurs and young innovators are all expected to converge in Jinja for three days of business, learning, networking and celebration.
Held under the theme, “Brewing Prosperity, Cultivating Heritage: Advancing Coffee & Cocoa Value Chains for Youth Employment and Socio-Economic Transformation,” the festival seeks to demonstrate how agriculture, tourism and enterprise development can work together to unlock sustainable livelihoods and transform local economies.
Unlike traditional agricultural exhibitions, the BCCTFEST has been designed as an annual regional socio-economic transformation platform that will connect every player across the coffee and cocoa value chains while showcasing Busoga’s unique tourism, cultural and environmental/natural assets.
The festival is being convened by the Women’s Environmental Forum Uganda (WEF-Uganda), a community-based youth-led organisation based in Buyengo Town Council, Jinja District, whose work focuses on environmental sustainability, women’s economic empowerment, youth employment(decent jobs), enterprise development and inclusive socio-economic transformation.
According to Resty Mbwali, the Founder of WEF-Uganda and Festival Director, the festival was conceived after years of working closely with farming communities across Busoga and recognising both the enormous opportunities and the persistent challenges facing the region.
“Through our work with women, youth, farmer groups and community enterprises, we have also seen tremendous potential and opportunities that the coffee and cocoa sector could bring to Busoga sub-region while changing the narrative of the region’s current economic status from the 3rd Last after Bukedde and Karamoja according to UBOs 2022. We have also witnessed barriers that continue to slow down growth, including limited access to finance, weak market linkages, low levels of value addition, inadequate business development support, and limited opportunities for young people. The festival is our response to these challenges by creating one platform where solutions, partnerships, and opportunities come together,” Mbwali said.
She also explained that WEF-Uganda’s interest in coffee and cocoa goes beyond agriculture.
“As an environmental organization, sustainability is at the center of everything we do. Coffee and cocoa are not only profitable cash crops, but they are tree crops. When grown responsibly, they restore degraded landscapes, improve biodiversity, contribute to climate resilience, and provide long-term incomes for farming households. We believe these crops offer one of the strongest pathways for reducing poverty while protecting the environment.”
Mbwali added that Busoga possesses the natural advantages required to become one of Uganda’s leading coffee and cocoa regions.
“The region enjoys fertile soils, reliable rainfall, favourable climatic conditions, beautiful landscapes, the River Nile, rich cultural heritage and hardworking farming communities. Our goal is to build on these strengths and create an ecosystem where agriculture, tourism, conservation and enterprise development reinforce one another to generate lasting community wealth.”
The organizers say the festival is expected to convene more than 300 exhibitors and thousands of participants, creating one of the largest coffee and cocoa gatherings ever held in eastern Uganda.
According to Christine Nababi, the Festival Coordinator, the event has been carefully designed to ensure that every participant, from a smallholder farmer to an international investor, finds practical value.
“This is much more than an exhibition. Farmers will access new markets, cooperatives will meet financial institutions, processors will connect with exporters, tourism operators will showcase destinations, and young entrepreneurs will interact directly with investors and business mentors. We want every participant to leave with new knowledge, new partnerships, and new opportunities,” Nababi Christine said.
Throughout the three-day programme, visitors will participate in business and investment dialogues, coffee cupping sessions, cocoa demonstrations tracing the journey from pod to premium chocolate, enterprise exhibitions, farmer clinics, export and market linkage forums, technical learning sessions, cultural performances and destination tourism showcases.
One of the major highlights will be the Youth Innovation Challenge and Enterprise Hub, which will provide young innovators and entrepreneurs with an opportunity to pitch business ideas, showcase innovations and engage directly with investors, business leaders and development partners.
The challenge targets youth involved in coffee production, cocoa processing, agritech, value addition, branding, packaging, exports, tourism, and enterprise development.
The organisers say outstanding enterprises identified during the festival will transition into a Post-Festival Accelerator Programme, where they will receive continued support through business mentorship, enterprise development, product improvement, branding, export readiness, investment preparation, market linkages and technical capacity building.
The program will prioritize youth-led and women-led enterprises with high growth potential.
The festival experience will begin a day before the official opening with the Busoga Coffee & Cocoa Agro-Tourism Experience on 17th September in Busede, Jinja District.
Participants will visit model coffee and cocoa farms, meet successful farmers, experience coffee processing, explore livestock and greenhouse enterprises, enjoy farm-to-cup coffee experiences and learn how agriculture, conservation and tourism can work together to create sustainable livelihoods.
The agro-tourism experience is expected to become one of Busoga’s flagship tourism products, providing communities with additional income while promoting environmental conservation through sustainable farming practices.
Another signature attraction will be the Nile Coffee Cruise, scheduled for Saturday, 19th September.
Hosted along the iconic River Nile, the premium networking experience will bring together investors, exporters, policymakers, financiers, entrepreneurs and development partners for high-level business and investment discussions, coffee tasting experiences and partnership-building sessions in one of Uganda’s most scenic tourism destinations.
The organizers also intend to establish the Nile Coffee Cruise as a recurring tourism and business networking product beyond the annual festival.
Evenings during the festival will come alive through the Nile Coffee Jazz Nights, featuring live music, cultural performances, campfires, networking experiences, food, coffee, entertainment and celebrations of Busoga’s creativity and hospitality.
According to Emmanuel Mawejje, the Festival Communications and Marketing Manager, the festival is also about changing perceptions of Busoga.
“For many years, Busoga has largely been known for sugarcane. We want people to discover another side of the region: its premium coffee, quality cocoa, beautiful tourism attractions, vibrant culture, innovative entrepreneurs, and investment opportunities. We are building a brand that tells the Busoga story differently and positions the region as a destination for business, tourism and sustainable development,” Mawejje said.
He added that the festival will showcase enterprises across the entire value chain, including coffee roasters, chocolatiers, baristas, brewers, community nurseries, processors, exporters, cooperatives, tourism businesses, coffee and cocoa companies, financial institutions and organisations supporting sustainable agriculture and enterprise development.
Local governments, especially departments responsible for production, tourism, natural resources and commercial services, will also participate in promoting investment opportunities and strengthening public-private partnerships.
The organisers believe that by strengthening connections between farmers, markets, finance, tourism and innovation, Busoga can unlock new opportunities for decent jobs, enterprise growth and inclusive economic transformation.
The Busoga Coffee & Cocoa Tourism Festival is therefore more than a celebration of coffee and cocoa. It is a platform for building resilient communities, creating sustainable businesses, protecting the environment and positioning Busoga as one of Africa’s emerging destinations for coffee, cocoa and agro-tourism.
The Busoga Coffee & Cocoa Tourism Festival 2026 will take place from 18th to 20th September at Jinja Showgrounds, with the Coffee & Cocoa Agro-Tourism Experience scheduled for 17th September in Busede, Jinja District.
Registration is now open for exhibitors, delegates, investors and visitors.
For registration and inquiries, contact: +256 757 635917| +256 706 301206| +256 777 271601 Email: coffeecocoatourismfestival@gmail.com or womensenvforum@gmail.com
This September, Busoga invites Uganda and the world to experience the three unforgettable days of business, culture, innovation, and tourism, where prosperity is brewed, heritage is celebrated, and the future of coffee and cocoa begins.
