President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has praised MTN Group for its impressive growth in Uganda and called on the telecommunications giant to broaden its investment into key sectors that drive economic transformation and job creation.
During a meeting with MTN Group officials at State House Entebbe, President Museveni recalled the company’s early days with a personal memory of former South African President Nelson Mandela making a phone call on one of MTN’s first devices in Uganda. “I am glad that MTN has grown. I remember when it had just started, Mzee Mandela called me on a small phone… that was the beginning,” Museveni said.
The President emphasized that sustainable business growth depends on increasing household incomes. “If people have jobs and incomes, they will buy more phones and use them more,” he noted. He urged investment in Uganda’s four wealth-creating sectors: commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT, stating that these areas are crucial for raising Africa’s purchasing power.
He further encouraged MTN to expand cross-border investments to strengthen intra-African trade and integration. Reflecting on Uganda’s shift from a subsistence to a monetized economy, Museveni said, “By 2021, we had reached 64% of households in the money economy. Now only 33% remain outside.”
The President also addressed challenges such as land fragmentation through inheritance, encouraging Ugandans to adopt models of shared ownership similar to capitalist economies to preserve wealth.
Museveni concluded by inviting MTN to consider manufacturing partnerships in Uganda to leverage the continent’s emerging regional market opportunities.
In response, MTN Group Chairman Mr. Jonas Mcebisi thanked the President and government for their ongoing support. “We have had excellent collaboration from the regulators, and MTN is not here for the short term—we are here for the long haul,” he said.
Mcebisi also highlighted MTN’s footprint, stating the company currently serves 22 million customers in Uganda—12 million of them smartphone users—and 297 million globally. He expressed interest in helping Ugandan businesses access the South African market.
Also present were Hon. Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo (Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance), Mr. Ramathan Ggoobi (Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury), Mr. John Musinguzi (URA Commissioner General), and Mr. George William Nyombi Thembo (UCC Executive Director).
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