Coffee growers in Buwunga sub-county, Masaka district, have attributed the increased prevalence of coffee theft incidents in their neighborhoods to escalating prices of the crop.

The coffee farmers said that the inflation made it a lucrative target for criminals, contributing to a surge in coffee thefts across the region.

The incidents were prominent in the villages of Nakiyaga, Kitoma, Mbira, Kanywa, Kawonzi, and Karugondo.

Speaking to the media on November 21, 2024, one of the coffee farmers from Buwunga sub-county, Erias Kisosonkole, revealed that farmers were losing harvests to thieves mostly at night during heavy downpours.

Another coffee farmer from Kitoma village, Julius Kamyuka, said that locals were living in fear for both their harvests and lives, which faced a huge risk.

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Kamyuka added that the thefts not only threaten the immediate income of the farmers but also discourage them from investing further in their crops, most especially in the mentioned villages targeted by the said thieves.

“We need security to be strengthened, especially in the mentioned villages that are targeted by these thieves, because we are making a lot of losses,’’ he noted.

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The situation in Buwunga highlights a broader trend affecting coffee farmers across Uganda, where rising prices have made coffee not just a valuable crop but also a target for crime.

On May 2, 2024, a suspected coffee thief was lynched by a mob in Bulegeya village after being accused of stealing coffee from a plantation. The circumstances surrounding this killing highlight the community’s frustration with ongoing thefts and their willingness to commit mob justice.

The rising incidence of coffee thefts in Masaka district underscores the urgent need for effective security measures and community cooperation to protect farmers’ livelihoods and ensure the sustainability of Uganda’s coffee industry.