The French retailer"s Dubai-based operator earlier opened its first store in Kenya The company already hired 150 people to work at their new branch NAIROBI: Carrefour will open its first store in Uganda this year, expanding in the region after a successful launch in neighboring Kenya, the Dubai-based operator of the French retailer’s outlets said on Tuesday. Majid al Futtaim (MAF), a United Arab Emirates-based mall developer that holds Carrefour franchise rights in 37 countries, opened its first store in Kenya in 2016, securing rapid growth in a country where just 30 percent of retail transactions take place on the formal market. MAF has already secured space at a large mall in the Ugandan capital Kampala and has hired 150 workers ahead of the launch of the store, said Hani Weiss, CEO of MAF Retail in a statement. “This announcement brings us a step closer toward realizing our long-term expansion plan for East Africa. Uganda is considered one of the fastest growing economies in Africa,” Weiss said. A second store in the Ugandan capital will be opened early next year, he said.