Uganda is using Theodore Roosevelt's 1909–1910 African expedition as a platform to promote tourism, coffee, and trade in the United States, timed to the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota on July 4, 2026.

Roosevelt's journey took him through Buganda, Bunyoro, Murchison Falls, and West Nile. Those routes now form the backbone of the Roosevelt Africa Trail, which spans more than 1,000 miles and links over 50 sites across Uganda and East Africa. "The trail seeks to connect history, tourism, conservation, education, and commerce," said Dr. Jackline Nyiracyiza, Acting Commissioner for Museums and Monuments.

The library is expected to draw between 7,000 and 15,000 visitors in its opening period, with projections above 180,000 annually thereafter — an audience Ugandan officials see as a ready-made introduction to the country. "The library opening presents a rare opportunity to transform one of the earliest documented American encounters with Uganda into a modern platform for trade, tourism, conservation, and cultural diplomacy," said Adrian Braka, Director of US Partnerships at the Roosevelt Africa Trail.

Coffee is a central part of the pitch. Robert Kayanja, Director of Gold Meadow Farm, pointed to Roosevelt Africa Safari Coffee as a route into more than 1,000 retail outlets across 30-plus US states. The effort sits within Uganda's broader "Trade Over Aid" agenda, which also drew attention at Harvard Business School's Africa Business Conference.

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