The Justice Forum (JEEMA) has implored the government of Uganda to seek national consensus in the quest for the merger of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF).
According to Swaibu Kaggwa Nsereko, the spokesperson for JEEMA, the coffee war is not between the government and opposition Members of Parliament (MPs), adding that the coffee bill is against the coffee farmers, who should be engaged at every step the government takes on matters concerning coffee.
“The Justice Forum urges calm and inclusive dialogue regarding the National Coffee Bill 2024. Meanwhile, we urge for maintenance of the UCDA status quo until consensus by all stakeholders ranging from grass roots to national policy level is achieved,” Nsereko said.
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He argued that the government and some MPs have not done enough to dive into the understanding of the bill in order to give a comprehensive explanation to the coffee farmers at the grass-roots level.
Muhammad Katerega, the Secretary General of JEEMA, said that suspicions of foul play, including attempts to centralize and foreign control concerns of the sector, must be addressed.
“In addition to commending Parliament’s earlier total rejection of Museveni’s quest for an agreement in favor of a foreign entity called Pinette of Uganda Vinci Coffee Company Limited, JEEMA also advocates market-driven solutions and national consensus-building,” he said.
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According to Katerega, before the government merges UCDA with MAAIF on the basis of reducing its expenditure, let it curb corruption in other sectors.
“Before UCDA was declared an independent entity, it was under the Ministry of Agriculture, and it was not doing very well. The government should take the trouble to explain to Ugandans what will happen with their coffee before the merger,” Katerega said.
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UCDA was established in 1991 under the Uganda Coffee Development Authority Act, Cap. 325, which was repealed and replaced by the National Coffee Act No. 17 of 2021.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.
