Cabinet has approved the allocation of six additional acres of government land to the United Nations Regional Service Centre in Entebbe to facilitate the expansion of its operations, with the government projecting increased economic activity and business opportunities in the area.
The land will be reallocated from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries after the UN centre exhausted the 20 acres it currently occupies, according to Cabinet decisions announced by Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Justine Kasule Lumumba during the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday.
“The additional land will give it room to expand as it takes on more responsibilities,” Lumumba said.
Established in 2010, the centre provides finance, human resources, administrative, logistics and information and communications technology support to United Nations operations. Its services help UN missions carry out their work in different parts of the world.
The expansion comes as the United Nations reorganises its operations to reduce costs and improve the use of its resources, with Uganda positioning Entebbe to host more of the organisation’s support services.
According to Lumumba, President Yoweri Museveni offered to host additional UN services in Entebbe when he conveyed the proposal to the UN Secretary-General in June 2025. The Secretary-General welcomed the offer in a response dated July 15, 2026.
“The United Nations is reorganising its operations to reduce costs and make better use of its resources. Uganda has offered to host more of these services in Entebbe,” Lumumba said.
The centre has already taken over several administrative and support functions previously handled by the Kuwait Joint Support Office. The transfer of those responsibilities took effect on July 1, 2026.
Government expects the expanded operations to generate economic benefits through spending by international staff and contracts awarded to local suppliers.
Figures presented to Cabinet indicate that staff spending injects about US$40 million into the local economy annually, while local contracts account for a further US$33 million.
“This spending supports businesses that provide goods and services to the Centre and its staff,” Lumumba said.
The centre is also expected to become the largest travel ticketing office in the UN system, handling an average of approximately 250 tickets daily, according to the briefing.
The expansion is expected to strengthen Entebbe’s role as a host location for international organisations and increase demand for accommodation, transport, hospitality and other services supplied by local businesses.
“For Uganda, this is an opportunity to strengthen our position as a host of international services and to support local businesses,” Lumumba said.
She added that providing additional space for the centre would support Uganda’s partnership with the United Nations while creating room for greater economic activity in Entebbe.
