The National Unity Platform (NUP) party member, Moses Kasibante, a former Rubaga North Member of Parliament, has called on Members of Parliament (MPs) to refrain from ignorance and populist tactics concerning the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and focus on the common man and the bigger picture.
Kasibante’s remarks come amid growing concerns about the management and promotion of Uganda’s coffee industry, a vital sector for the country’s economy, where the government rationalized UCDA back to the Ministry of Agriculture for better management.
He emphasized the importance of informed decision-making, urging lawmakers to engage with the complexities of the UCDA’s role in supporting coffee farmers and enhancing production standards.
“The tendency of some politicians to prioritize popular opinion over substantive policy discussions undermines the potential growth of the coffee sector. The coffee industry is not just a source of income; it is a cornerstone of our national identity and economic stability,” Kasibante said.
Kasibante urged MPs to educate themselves on the challenges and opportunities within the coffee sector rather than resorting to populism that could jeopardize its future.
He noted that UCDA is not indispensable in the Ugandan coffee story, adding that MPs, rather than becoming ignorant populists who are just playing gallery and creating unnecessary excitement for voters in preparation for 2026, should show the population how visible UCDA has been in the lives and struggles of ordinary coffee farmers in Buganda.
“Let these Buganda MPs explain how scrapping UCDA would diminish ordinary Bagandas’ ability to earn from their coffee, yet we all know that the research on coffee has been done by the National Coffee Research Institute (NACORI) and the National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO), who merely share their findings with UCDA while recommending the appropriate interventions,” Kasibante noted.
He further said that as a coffee farmer, he knows that there is nothing mischievous President Museveni can do to the disadvantage of the coffee farmers in Buganda and Uganda as a whole.
Kasibante’s comments resonate with many stakeholders in the agricultural community, who are advocating for more robust support and strategic initiatives from the government to bolster the coffee industry.
