The Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) will on Wednesday hold the sixth edition of its Quality Awards, recognizing businesses, individuals, government agencies and other stakeholders for their contribution to Uganda’s business community. The awards will be held on October 7 at Hotel Africana in Kampala, with KACITA expecting more than 600 people to attend the ceremony.
Abel Mwesigye, Chief Executive Officer of KACITA Uganda, said the awards were established to recognize the businesses and other players whose contribution helps Uganda’s business community grow and remain resilient.
“This is all about celebrating all the businesses that have thrived over time,” Mwesigye said.
He said the awards go beyond companies to include individuals, entities, government agencies and regional players whose work has had an impact on the business community.
“We intend to always appreciate individuals, entities, government agencies and all stakeholders who are so vital in enabling the business community to keep afloat,” he said.
The sixth edition comes at a time when Uganda’s business community continues to experience changes, with new businesses entering the market while others leave due to changing circumstances. Mwesigye said this changing environment is one reason KACITA continues to review and recognize the different players contributing to business success.
“Every year we encounter different opportunities, different challenges. We have new entrants in the businesses, and we equally have those who exit for other professions,” he said.
The 2026 awards feature more than 31 categories, with members of the public playing a significant role in identifying and selecting nominees. According to Mwesigye, KACITA appoints a fresh Awards Committee each year to oversee the process. The awards process takes at least five months and combines public voting, stakeholder input and committee assessment. Public voting accounts for 65% of the final outcome, while stakeholders contribute 20% and the Awards Committee contributes 15%.
“The awards process usually takes not less than five months. Out of 100%, 65% is by the public vote, 20% is from the stakeholders and 15% is for the committee that is analyzing,” Mwesigye said.
The process starts with the public suggesting nominees for the different award categories, alongside reasons for their nominations. The nominees are subsequently vetted before they proceed through the awards process.
Mwesigye said KACITA consults several stakeholders during the vetting process, including regulatory authorities, to establish whether nominees meet the expected standards.
“We want to have nominees who are compliant, nominees of sound mind and right standing within the business community,” he said.
The involvement of the public is intended to give consumers and other members of the business community a direct role in recognizing organizations and individuals they consider to be making a positive contribution.
KACITA, established in 2001 and re-registered in 2009 as a national association, describes itself as a multi-sectoral business support association representing traders across retail, wholesale, manufacturing, services and other sectors. The association says its work includes advocacy, mediation, capacity building, stakeholder engagement and support for traders across Uganda.
For businesses, Mwesigye said the value of the awards extends beyond the ceremony. He said some previous recipients have used their recognition as part of their marketing, while companies involved in tendering have also included their awards in submissions.
“A lot of companies use these awards as a marketing tool. Most of these companies that do tenders usually attach these award analyses onto their submissions,” he said.
Mwesigye said the awards derive additional credibility from KACITA’s longstanding position within the business community. He described KACITA as an organization that has represented business interests for more than two decades and said this has helped build confidence in the recognition it gives.
“These awards, being given out by the biggest business support association that has stood the test of time for over 25 years, have been tested and trusted,” he said.
KACITA’s current organizational information states that the association represents more than three million traders across Uganda, with its mandate extending across multiple business sectors and regions. Mwesigye said the association’s position within the business community gives the awards significance because KACITA’s activities are closely connected to the interests of traders and businesses.
“KACITA Uganda is at the heart of the business community. It is the mouthpiece of the business community. Every information that it puts out is much more respected, and that is why these awards are very vital,” he said.
The awards ceremony will bring together nominees, sponsors, members of the public and other stakeholders. Mwesigye said companies supporting the event provide financial or in-kind support, while members of the public and other interested participants have been invited to attend.
As KACITA prepares for the sixth edition, Mwesigye said the association intends to maintain the awards as an annual platform for recognizing contributions to Uganda’s business community. He said future editions will continue to evolve through changes in themes, participants and award categories.
“We intend to sustain these awards every year with different themes, different participants and different categories,” Mwesigye said.
The sixth KACITA Quality Awards will be held on October 7 at Hotel Africana in Kampala, bringing together businesses and other stakeholders for an evening focused on recognizing contributions to Uganda’s business community.
