The Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD) is an innovative, autonomous agribusiness incubator established in 2012 by Makerere University, NUCAFE, and NARO, with support from DANIDA under the FARA-UniBRAIN Programme.
As a public–private partnership initiative, CURAD supports farmers, farmer organizations, agro-entrepreneurs, students, graduates, start-ups, and SMEs to transform ideas into competitive agribusiness enterprises. We are driven by a vision to produce innovative young entrepreneurs and agribusiness leaders who champion productivity, profitability, and job creation in the agricultural sector.
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At 24, Winnie Kiiza has learned something many people twice her age are still trying to understand: opportunity does not always arrive loudly. Sometimes, it hides in the everyday needs of a community. In Budebera Village in Mayuge Town Council, where Winnie grew up, poultry farming is everywhere. Nearly every household keeps a few birds. Yet for years, farmers struggled
“Agribusiness is not just a business, it’s a tool to transform communities, empower youth, and create lasting impact.” – Nangobi Victoria Kisakye Nangobi Victoria Kisakye, an incubate at CURAD under the SAYE project In a world where agribusiness holds immense potential to transform lives but still faces barriers to youth participation and sustainable growth, Nangobi Victoria Kisakye from Jinja, Eastern
At just 24 years old, Timujibwa Nuulu from Bugunga Village, Kapyanga Subcounty, Bugiri District, is rewriting her story — one jar of peanut butter/paste at a time. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, Nuulu’s education journey came to a sudden stop. She had just completed Senior Three when schools closed and was forced to stay home, hoping they would reopen soon.
Katengeke Olivia, a determined 30-year-old mother of three from Bugiri District, embarked on a journey to turn her passion for creating nutritious food into a thriving business. Living in Busowa Town Council, Olivia always had a dream of making composite and instant porridge flour that would nourish children, pregnant women, and families in her community. Her dream became a reality
At the Women’s Katale Expo 2024 in Jinja, Kampi Winfred from Ndiwansi Village, Amagera Town Council, Jinja District, discovered what would become a turning point in her life, the SAYE Project. That day, she found not just a program, but a source of hope and opportunity. Today, she is the proud Co-founder of Nile Coffee, a growing enterprise that is
For Babra Kaikara, every time is coffee time and she means it quite literally. At just 27 years old, this passionate innovator from Kimaka Division, Mpumudde Subcounty in Jinja, is capturing attention and transforming taste buds with her bold creation: Coffee Extra. It’s a powerful, flavour-packed juice infused with coffee and Mulondo, designed to boost energy, spark vitality, and deliver
At just 26 years old, Mercy Chepkurui, a SAYE project participant and incubatee at CURAD, is already making waves in Uganda’s food industry. Hailing from Jinja District, Mercy is the founder of Goldensip Composite Porridge Flour, a nutritious blend made from soya, millet, rice, and milk. Her product not only addresses malnutrition but also creates employment opportunities for young people
For many young people across the Busoga sub-region, unemployment has been an everyday reality. With limited opportunities and no clear business direction, the future seemed uncertain. However, through CURAD’s Idea Refinement Bootcamps under the SAYE Project for Cohort 2 Window 2, hope has been restored, and a new wave of young agripreneurs is emerging. In March, CURAD embarked on a
In January 2025, seventy-one ambitious entrepreneurs embarked on an exciting journey with the SAYE Project. Inducted into CURAD’s incubation program, these individuals saw their business ideas refined, developed, and transformed into high-quality, branded, and market-ready products. Having successfully completed the idea refinement bootcamps, they proceeded to the next phase—incubation and product development. Project participants packaging daddies Under the guidance of
Nakitende Zura, a 32-year-old mother from Katamba village, Wanyama ward in Bugembe Town Council, Jinja District, was once a stay-at-home mom struggling to find her footing after returning home from a marriage that didn’t work out. With two children to care for and no income, life felt uncertain — until a WhatsApp message from a friend changed her trajectory. That
39 businesses made their mark at the NSSF Hi-Innovator Cohort 4 Pre-Selection Bootcamp held from August 13th to 16th, 2024 at Sheraton Hotel Kampala. CURAD stood out by recommending 16 of the 39 businesses, setting a new record for the largest number in Cohort 4. The Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness (CURAD) is among the NSSF Hi-Innovator Entrepreneurship
Last week, The Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness to CURAD hosted 16 enterprising youth from the Busoga sub-region from 6th November to 8th November to begin their business journeys under the SAYE (Stimulating Agribusiness for Youth Employment) Project. The three-day activity hosted at the CURAD’s NAMAVE facility marked a pivotal point for these participants, who previously attended idea refinement bootcamps
In 2018, a quiet determination in Kampala gave rise to a business that is now shaping Uganda’s agricultural exports and empowering hundreds of farmers across the country. For Rachael Bagumira, Director of Ambr Products and Services Limited, the story began years earlier, growing up in a farming family and witnessing her mother struggle to access reliable markets for her freshly
This Course is a self paced online program that equips aspiring and early stage entrepreneurs with essential business skills. It provides the tools and knowledge needed to start, stabilize, and scale enterprises. For Juliet Ochama (32), founder of Nectar Point Ltd, the course became the turning point that reshaped her entrepreneurial journey. Ochama's entrepreneurial spark was lit at Gulu University (2018-2020),
KIMCO Coffee started operations in 2018 with a goal to support women in the coffee industry to produce high quality coffee. The coffee value-chain has so many women working tirelessly to ensure planting and harvesting happens in season, however they do not earn so much from it. KIMCO Coffee therefore set out to mobilise women groups of coffee farmers who