The East Africa Capital Markets Conference (EACMC 2025), hosted a few days ago in Kampala by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) Uganda in partnership with the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE), signalled a definitive shift for the region’s financial landscape.
Under the theme “Shaping East Africa’s Capital Markets through Digital Transformation and Sustainable Finance,” the event convened regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel to launch major initiatives aimed at simplifying investing, deepening integration, and accelerating economic growth.
The event was officiated over by Mr. Patrick Ayota, the NSSF Managing Director, who delivered a keynote address to the gathering.
Launch of the EAE 20 Share Index
A key highlight of the conference was the official launch of the East Africa Exchanges (EAE) 20 Share Index. This new regional benchmark is designed to track the collective performance of the top 20 listed companies across East Africa.
The index is meant to significantly enhance market visibility, boost investor confidence, and actively promote regional integration within the capital markets ecosystem, presenting East Africa as a unified and attractive investment destination.
Economic Context
Representing the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Commissioner Moses Ogwapus underscored the index’s importance, noting that Uganda’s capital markets are vital for mobilising the domestic capital needed to structurally transform the economy from a GDP of $53.9 billion to a massive $500 billion by 2040, as outlined in the National Development Plan IV.
Innovation and Accessibility as New Mandate for Market Growth
In her keynote remarks, Mrs. Josephine Okui Ossiya, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CMA Uganda, delivered a compelling vision for the future, declaring: “Today, we move from conversation to collaboration and from potential to performance.”
“To attract issuers and investors, we must make our markets faster, simpler, and friendlier, because no one should need a PhD in patience to invest in East Africa,” Ossiya said.
“Through the CMA Regulatory Sandbox, we are creating space to test new products, advanced analytics, and smarter investor–capital linkages under adaptive regulation,” she added.
She framed technology not as a side project but as the core enabler of market growth, advocating for radical simplification.
Measurable Progress in Capital Mobilisation
The conference also provided tangible results from the Deal Flow Facility, a crucial partnership between CMA Uganda, Financial Sector Deepening Uganda (FSD Uganda), and the European Union.
Ossiya highlighted the facility’s success, reporting that 52 companies have been matched with investors for potential deals exceeding USD $30 million.
She revealed that four companies have already closed deals, securing USD $6.1 million in funding, demonstrating the facility’s effectiveness in translating investment readiness into actual capital injection for growing Ugandan businesses.
The EACMC 2025 thus cemented digital transformation, sustainable finance, and regional integration as the defining pillars for East Africa’s capital markets, setting a clear, action-oriented path for a smarter, more inclusive investment future.