Africa-Press – Uganda. Business referral organization, BNI Uganda has announced its ambitious goal to increase its membership from the current 586 to 1,000 by the end of the year.
This was revealed on Friday at Protea Hotel as BNI Uganda officially launched its 10-year anniversary celebrations, commemorating a decade of impactful business networking, collaboration, and growth.
The activities planned for the BNI 10-Year Celebration, themed “BEYOND,” will include a press conference, a members’ dinner, community outreach initiatives by various chapters, and monthly networking campaigns across all chapters. Additionally, there will be a digital campaign to document and share BNI success stories, as well as the BNI East African Convention scheduled for August 8, 2025.
Over the past decade, BNI Uganda members have facilitated an impressive Shs200 billion in business transactions among themselves, showcasing the effectiveness of structured networking in generating significant economic impact.
Addressing journalists, Diana Ninsiima Kibuuka, National Director of BNI Uganda, reflected on the organisation’s milestones in the last decade.
“We closed 2024 with 570 members. Our goal for 2025 is to grow our community to 1,000 members. But beyond is more than numbers it’s a call to push past our limits, innovate, strengthen relationships, and explore new horizons together. What got us here may not take us forward. It’s time to evolve and grow as a community,” Kibuuka said.
Stephen Mugabe, a general dentist and proprietor at Code Clinic, shared how BNI played a crucial role in turning his dental skills into a successful business just two years after he had opened the facility.
“I had a skill as a dentist. I didn’t have a skill as a business person. And so what BNI offered was, learning from the others who have been in business longer. I like to say that BNI saved my business because if it had come maybe a year later, CODE Clinic would be no more,” Mugabe said.
He also shared that through BNI, he has been able to acquire valuable insights on market advancement, staff recruitment, and financing, all of which have contributed to the sustainability of his business.
“And that’s what kept us there. And then if you see all these guys, I didn’t know them when I joined that role. But now we swear that we are best friends. And some of my best referrals have come from one of the people here. it has made sense that I should go on and make friends with other people who can give me referrals.”
BNI Uganda currently boasts 13 active chapters, each contributing to the organization’s vibrant from accounting firms and marketing agencies to agribusiness, manufacturers, healthcare professionals, and creative entrepreneurs among other sectors.
Members include providers of financial literacy training, business coaching, architecture, engineering services, car sales, legal services, baking schools, cleaning services, estate management, and much more.
“BNI has inspired my vision for growth both my business and at a personal level. I have a reliable team of advisors that I can count on 24/7 and that for me is priceless! I am here for a lifetime,” Eva K. Mugerwa- Kentaro Mugerwa & Co Advocates.
Grace Kiwanuka, an insurance broker at Chancery Insurance Brokers, reflected on his experience since joining BNI, highlighting that it has improved his business visibility and reduced advertising expenses.
“When Chancery was opened in 1998, we were a very new insurance booking firm in the country. We had bought some insurance brokers at that time. It was very difficult for insurance to be penetrated too, and we started, trying to find ways of how we were going to reach out to the market. It was difficult. It was expensive. You cannot put adverts. You cannot do radio, announcements,” he said.
Kiwanuka added, “So, when I joined BNI, I realized the potential of having many business people. We meet, greet, and be able to refer ourselves with confidence. Because when you’re in the room, you trust all people in the room.”
Business Network International (BNI) is a global business referral organization founded in 1985 by Dr. Ivan Misner to help members grow their businesses through structured networking.
Operating on the Givers Gain® philosophy, BNI emphasizes mutual Success by encouraging members to refer clients to one another.
With strict membership rules allowing only one representative per profession in each chapter, BNI ensures quality connections and minimizes competition among members.
Uganda’s first chapter, launched in 2015, celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025 under the ‘BEYOND” theme.
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