UCDA was established in 1991 under the Uganda Coffee Development Authority Act, Cap. 325, which was repealed and replaced by the National Coffee Act No. 17 of 2021. The authority’s mandate includes regulating activities within the coffee value chain, promoting coffee quality, supporting research and development, and optimizing earnings for stakeholders in the sector.

The most efficient services come from specialized institutions whose knowledge and expertise take many decades to learn and achieve. It is unimaginable, for example, to make Mulago Hospital a department in the Ministry of Health or Makerere University a department in the Ministry of Education. The low quality of service delivery in many government departments deserves improvement, not additional work, and throwing away institutions like paper towels is very difficult to understand.

According to President Museveni’s letter about the rationalization of UCDA, it is fraudulent for UCDA to claim that the big boost in agricultural production is because of its efforts, arguing that since 1991, the year UCDA was formed, by 2013, 68% of the Ugandan homesteads were still outside the money economy, which compelled the government to initiate Operation Wealth Creation.

The government of Uganda is well conversant that coffee is a critical part of the economy, and its importance is growing with over 1.8 million households growing coffee, which contributes nearly a third of the country's export earnings, paying for critical infrastructure like roads, hospitals, and schools.

The Katikkiro’s response gives Buganda’s opinion on the debate over the UCDA amendment bill, which has sparked a broader conversation about the relationship between the central government and Buganda, as well as the implications of the bill for Uganda’s vital coffee sector.

During the recent 2024 forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit, China announced 10 partnership initiatives or actions covering 10 areas of cooperation between the Asian nation and East African country in the coming few years. Among these are the partnerships for agriculture and livelihood.

The partnership presents Ugandan researchers with invaluable opportunities, including access to cutting-edge research and development in perennial rice plus knowledge exchange in perennial rice cultivation, further reducing labor costs and increasing returns to investment.