The Parliament of Uganda has officially passed the National Coffee Amendment Bill 2024, which includes the merging of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and the transfer of its responsibilities to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The decision was made during a plenary session on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, with 305 MPs physically present.
The Minister of Agriculture, Frank Tumwebaze, told the house that the bill is part of the rationalization process.
“The Coffee Amendment Bill reveals that the government is free of the financial drain on its resources and the burden of wasteful administration and expenditure on the Authority, yet the ministry may perform the functions with less cost and expenditure,” Tumwebaze said.
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He emphasized that the bill is also meant to facilitate efficient and effective service delivery by clearly delineating the mandates and functions of the ministry in relation to other government agencies and departments, thereby avoiding duplication of mandates and functions.
Proponents of the bill argued that merging UCDA into the Ministry of Agriculture will streamline operations and reduce administrative costs, while opponents expressed concerns about the ministry’s capacity to effectively manage the coffee sector.
During the discussions, notable tensions arose, especially regarding Speaker Among’s remarks, which some MPs interpreted as biased against the Buganda region, which is a significant coffee-producing area.
This controversy contributed to calls for her recusal from handling the bill. The bill will now await presidential assent to become law, marking a significant shift in Uganda’s coffee governance structure and raising questions about its implications for farmers and the broader economy.
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The bill was passed without the participation of the 12 members suspended due to the morning chaos.
An Act to emend of the National Coffee Act 2021. Act 17 of 2021, aims to dissolve the Coffee Development Authority and transfer its functions to the Ministry responsible for agriculture.
