In a drive to standardise the hospitality industry and elevate service excellence, Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL), through its Diageo Bar Academy (DBA) 2025 training programme, is equipping bartenders, waiters, and waitresses across the country with critical industry skills.
According to Steven Baguma, UBL’s Reserve Ambassador, the intensive two-month training initiative has so far upskilled 1,650 hospitality professionals, significantly boosting their competitiveness and professionalism in the sector.
Baguma made these remarks on June 26, 2025, during a training session involving over 30 staff members at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
“We have been on a two-month marathon training waiters and bartenders through our face-to-face Diageo Bar Academy programme. As we near the end of the sessions, I’m pleased to share that we have trained 1,650 hospitality professionals,” Baguma said.
As Uganda’s hospitality and tourism sectors continue to grow, demand for well-trained staff has risen, creating an urgent need for programmes that enhance customer service standards and boost the industry’s image. The DBA programme directly supports national efforts to improve service delivery and support tourism sector growth.
Baguma noted that the training, primarily conducted in Kampala and Entebbe, has already delivered visible results, with many participants now actively engaging with the Diageo Bar Academy online platform to continue their learning journey.
“They’re now hooked on our website, where they can independently access over 20 industry-recognised courses. These range from mixology and cocktail-making to customer care and bar management—skills that can elevate them to the level of college-certified professionals,” he added.
Jane Apio, a Diageo Master Bar Academy (MBA) trainer, emphasized the programme’s growing impact on women in hospitality, highlighting increased female participation in bartending—a space traditionally dominated by men.
“The DBA programme follows a structured model: theory, hands-on practicals, then access to digital resources. It’s changing the game for women. Where many were once limited to waitressing roles, today we see more stepping into bartending and even aiming to become trainers like myself,” Apio noted.
She added that the training offers career progression opportunities, helping individuals transition from entry-level roles such as cleaning or waitressing to more skilled positions in bartending and customer service.
The initiative supports Uganda’s National Development Plan III, which prioritizes skills development as a pillar of economic transformation. With an estimated 800,000 young people entering the labour market annually (World Bank, 2024), initiatives like the Diageo Bar Academy play a vital role in closing the skills gap and expanding meaningful employment in the country.
