Uganda’s entrepreneurial environment is once again in the spotlight as Al Hajji Hassan Basajjabalaba unveils an expansive manifesto that redefines the very identity of the NRM Entrepreneurs’ League.

Under the theme “Reviving and Building a Vibrant Entrepreneurs League from Village up to National Level: Simple Solutions, Big Results”, his program for 2025–2031 promises not just revival but transformation.

The manifesto is very ambitious. Branded with the slogan “Action Now”, it seeks to rebuild a League that has withered over the past decade and reposition it as both a grassroots mobilizer and an international policy lobby. Hassan Basajjabalaba is not just a candidate; he is a legacy-builder whose ventures pulse at the heart of Ugandan enterprise.

Central to his plan is a revival of League structures at every level, from villages and parishes to districts, regions and the national stage. He argues that without functional systems and properly trained leaders, the League cannot serve its purpose. His strategy therefore includes capacity building, mentorship, and training programs to give grassroots leaders the skills and resources they need to inspire entrepreneurs in their communities.                      

But Basajjabalaba’s manifesto goes far beyond organizational housekeeping. It positions the League as the NRM’s “think tank” on private-sector-led development, emphasizing its role in industrialization, job creation and wealth generation. He pledges evidence-based policy advocacy at the party’s highest decision-making table, the Senior Executive Committee (SEC). Through structured consultations with entrepreneurs across the country, he intends to lobby for fair tax policies, access to affordable financing, and protection of local businesses from predatory foreign competition.

This focus on advocacy marks a sharp departure from the 2015 Chairman’s manifesto, which emphasized mobilization and alignment with government programs like NAADS and Operation Wealth Creation. The earlier plan was inward-looking, concerned with order and discipline, while Basajjabalaba’s outlook was outward-facing, concerned with competitiveness, innovation, and global relevance.

He also leans heavily on his personal achievements as proof of capability. As founder of Kampala International University (KIU), Uganda’s largest private university with a branch in Tanzania, Basajjabalaba has overseen the graduation of nearly 80,000 students, with 30,000 of them on scholarships or bursaries he personally funded. His KIU Teaching Hospital has become a vital healthcare hub, while his partnerships with global universities underscore his ability to connect Ugandan initiatives to the world.

In business, his HABA Group of Companies embodies the breadth of his experience. It spans leather processing and export, pharmaceuticals, real estate development, hospitality and healthcare. His Tea-Maria estates and factories in Bushenyi and Buhweju employ thousands, supporting out-grower farmers, factory workers and exporters. Even during shocks like the Russia–Ukraine war, he maintained stability in production and safeguarded incomes for smallholder farmers. The Group’s estimated value of $520 million reflects the scale of his enterprise, but his manifesto insists that his real legacy lies in the futures he has built for others through jobs, scholarships, and mentorship.

This dual character, business titan and social entrepreneur infuse his vision for the League. He wants to establish district entrepreneur hubs for mentorship and training, create platforms for SMEs to connect with global partners and spearhead district and regional trade fairs under the spirit of Buy Uganda, Build Uganda. He also highlights public-private partnerships as a tool for expanding opportunities.

Significantly, Basajjabalaba identifies digital transformation as the defining challenge of the era. He describes it as “the new determinant of business survival and sustainability,” and vows to prioritize digital literacy, online marketplaces, and advocacy for affordable internet access. By embracing digital inclusion, he argues, SMEs in towns and villages alike will be able to reach regional and global markets.

His manifesto is not without a populist touch. Youth and women feature prominently, with promises of targeted bursaries, mentorship programs and financing for women-led enterprises. He also proposes annual entrepreneur awards to recognize innovation and risk-taking across the country, ensuring that success stories inspire the next generation.

When set against the 2015 manifesto, the difference is stark. The earlier plan provided structure, discipline and access to government opportunities. Basajjabalaba’s 2025 manifesto offers vision, global markets, digital readiness and policy influence. One looked backward at mobilization; the other looks forward to transformation.

For NRM delegates, the choice will be pivotal. Voting for continuity would preserve the League’s traditional role as a mobilization arm. Voting for Basajjabalaba, however, would elevate it into a policy powerhouse with ambitions stretching from local markets to international trade.

At its core, his message is clear: “From bursaries that unlock dreams to factories that sustain families, I don’t just build businesses; I build futures.”

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The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of South Africa’s Vantage Mezzanine Fund II Partnership in its high-profile dispute with businessman Patrick Bitature’s Simba Group, clearing the way for the fund to enforce a $10 million loan agreement without being required to register locally under Ugandan partnership laws.

The ruling reverses earlier decisions that had blocked the enforcement of the loan on the grounds that Vantage lacked legal presence in Uganda. The case, which has dragged on for nearly a decade, has been closely watched in business and investment circles for its implications on cross-border financing.

The dispute began in December 2014 when Vantage, one of Africa’s largest mezzanine debt funds, advanced $10 million (about Shs37 billion at the time) to Simba Properties Investment Company Ltd as growth capital to support expansion in real estate and hospitality. Charges were created over Simba Telecom Ltd, Linda Properties Ltd, and Elgon Terrace Hotel Ltd, with share transfer documents signed in favour of the lender as security.

When Simba defaulted, the companies filed multiple suits in the Commercial Division to resist enforcement, but those were dismissed in June 2021 and arbitration ordered. Vantage later moved to enforce the share transfers through the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB). The Bureau, however, rejected the request, arguing that Vantage was not registered to operate in Uganda.

In 2022, High Court Judge Musa Ssekaana upheld URSB’s position, holding that the fund lacked legal standing in Uganda. That ruling has now been unanimously overturned by the Court of Appeal.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Esta Nambayo held that lending money to a Ugandan company does not amount to “carrying on business” in Uganda and therefore does not require registration under the Partnership Act or the Business Names Registration Act.

“The mere act of lending money without a physical address in Uganda does not create an obligation for the appellant as a foreign lender to register. The appellant has a right to implement the terms of the agreement in Uganda, including instituting proceedings in court for the enforcement of its rights,” Justice Nambayo ruled.

She further warned that barring Vantage from seeking redress would amount to discrimination: “Locking out the appellant from accessing courts would amount to unequal legal protection by the courts, which would contravene Article 21(1) of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda.”

Justice Fredrick Egonda-Ntende, concurring, said, “Neither the Partnership Act nor the Business Names Registration Act deal with capacity to sue or locus standi at all. There was no basis in law for the conclusion that the appellant did not have capacity to sue.”

The Court also faulted the High Court for allowing Simba companies private entities to join judicial review proceedings which were strictly intended to compel URSB, a public body, to perform a statutory duty. As a result, the Court of Appeal set aside the High Court ruling, affirmed Vantage’s right to sue, and ordered both URSB and the Simba companies to pay costs in the High Court and on appeal.

Patrick Bitature, one of Uganda’s most prominent businessmen has long defended his stance in the dispute, blaming the COVID-19 pandemic for crippling his companies’ cash flows. He argued that lockdowns and travel restrictions severely disrupted revenues in hospitality and real estate, leaving Simba unable to meet obligations on schedule.

In public remarks, Bitature has also portrayed the standoff as a test of how Uganda treats local entrepreneurs in disputes with foreign financiers.

The Court of Appeal ruling is being hailed as a major boost for foreign direct investment and cross-border commercial lending. By confirming that foreign lenders can enforce contracts without local registration, the judgment strengthens Uganda’s reputation as a credible destination for private equity and mezzanine financing.

“This case sends a strong signal to international financiers that Uganda’s courts will uphold contractual rights fairly, even against politically connected or high-profile business figures,” a Kampala corporate lawyer observed.

Analysts argue the decision could encourage more regional and international funds to enter Uganda’s market, potentially lowering borrowing costs for corporates and improving investor confidence in the judiciary.

For Bitature, however, the verdict is a heavy blow at a time when his business empire is still recovering from the aftershocks of the pandemic. While the judgment clears Vantage to enforce its $10 million loan, it also underscores the difficult reality faced by many local firms that took on international financing before COVID-19 struck.

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