Local Halal Approval Cuts Costs, Speeds Gulf Market Entry for Ugandan Exporters
Ugandan exporters are set to benefit from a new phase of streamlined trade certification after the Halal Assurance Institute Uganda (HAIU) moved to eliminate long-standing bottlenecks in securing internationally recognised Halal approval for goods destined for overseas markets.
The development was announced during World Accreditation Day celebrations on 14 August, hosted by the Uganda National Accreditation Service (UGANAS) at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
While speaking to our reporter, HAIU Executive Director Ali Kalema told delegates that the institute’s work had drastically reduced the costs and delays previously faced by exporters seeking certification abroad.
“Previously, our exporters had to rely on foreign certification companies. This process was not only expensive but also time-consuming,” Kalema said. “Today, we are able to offer the necessary Halal certification right here in Uganda, ensuring that products meet the standards required by their destination countries.”
HAIU’s work goes far beyond issuing documentation. Teams of auditors are dispatched to factories, farms and processing plants to verify that goods are produced in line with both international Halal requirements and broader food safety regulations.
Kalema said this on-the-ground oversight reassures overseas buyers that Ugandan products meet the highest standards.
To bolster market confidence, the institute has partnered with SGS Gulf Limited, one of the region’s leading inspection and certification firms. This alliance ensures that products bound for Gulf markets comply with all religious, health and regulatory benchmarks before they leave Ugandan shores.
The drive to align Uganda’s Halal certification with Gulf standards has also included high-level diplomacy. In May, HAIU officials held talks at the Uganda Embassy in Riyadh with Ambassador Isaac Biruma Sebulime and Deputy Ambassador Sheikh Sulaiman Guggwa, as well as at the Gulf Cooperation Council Accreditation Center headquarters. These engagements, Kalema noted, were aimed at harmonising certification systems to ease market entry for Ugandan and East African exporters.
By removing logistical hurdles and introducing internationally recognised, locally administered certification, HAIU is positioning Uganda as a credible source of Halal-compliant goods in a market valued in the trillions of dollars.
“Our goal is simple,” Kalema said. “To make Uganda a trusted partner in the global Halal trade, while giving our exporters every advantage to compete and succeed.”