The President of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu says the Coffee Amendment Bill that looks to merge the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) with the mother Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) is targeting income earned from the crop especially in the Buganda region.

During a press briefing at the NUP head offices at Makerere-Kavule, Kawempe Division, Kampala, on Monday, Kyagulanyi said although the Government is hiding under the rationalizing of the coffee sector to save public funds, many other agencies that waste taxpayers’ money have not be touched like the State House Anti Corruption Unit which serves the same purpose as the Inspectorate of Government (IG).

He maintains that there is no purpose to squeeze UCDA into MAAIF yet over time it has proved its importance to Ugandans, unless there is a selfish motive to control earnings from the coffee sector.  

Kyagulanyi has called on Ugandans to make a strong pronouncement rejecting the bill in totality.

He also called upon Members of Parliament mostly those representing constituencies in Buganda to fight the bill and save coffee growers whose incomes are going to be tampered with like it was done with cotton and vanilla famers.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, an MP for Butambala County on the NUP ticket who is also the Chairperson of the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus has vowed that together with willing MPs from Buganda with the help of their colleagues from other regions to fight and save the UCDA.

By Charles Katabalwa

28 Oct 2024

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