By Leilah Bbaale<\/p>\n
President Museveni will address the nation tonight after weeks of tension over the government’s controversial decision to abolish the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA).<\/p>\n
Museveni’s address is scheduled for 8pm and will be aired on all natioanl radios and TVs, the presidency said.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Parliament passed the National Coffee Amendment Bill, 2024 amid chaotic scenes and blackout, literally, as legislators exchanges blows, lights were switched off the chambers and unidentified security personnel stormed in to drag out members.<\/p>\n
The bill, which transfers the UCDA\u2019s functions to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), was passed amid protests from opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) and a media lockout, with 305 MPs reportedly in attendance during the decision.<\/p>\n
Speaker of Parliament Anita Among dismissed allegations of conflict of interest raised by opposition MPs, clarifying that the Rules of Procedure do not apply to the Speaker\u2019s position as a non-voting presiding officer.<\/p>\n
Kiboga East MP Keefa Kiwanuka voiced fears of a potential decline in Uganda\u2019s coffee sector, proposing that the agriculture minister regularly report to Parliament on the sector\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
However, the proposal was rejected following objections from State Minister for Finance Henry Musasizi, who argued that existing audits and monitoring frameworks were sufficient.<\/p>\n
The restructuring has garnered support within Parliament, with State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwanga backing Musasizi\u2019s view and urging the withdrawal of Kiwanuka\u2019s proposal, which Parliament accepted.<\/p>\n
Speaker Among expressed gratitude to MPs, including Abdul Katuntu, Asuman Basalirwa, and Nathan Nandala Mafabi, for remaining in the chamber during the bill\u2019s passage.<\/p>\n
Museveni recently reiterated his support for dissolving UCDA, framing it as a necessary move for efficient resource allocation and stronger economic governance.<\/p>\n
Speaking from his farm in Kisozi, Gomba District, last week, the President argued that merging UCDA into the core ministries would eliminate inefficiencies and better serve the government\u2019s poverty eradication goals.<\/p>\n
He warned that opposition to these changes could hinder Uganda\u2019s economic progress, signaling a firm stance against those resisting the UCDA\u2019s restructuring.<\/p>\n
Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga has been vocal in opposing the UCDA\u2019s dissolution, emphasising the authority\u2019s crucial role in Uganda\u2019s coffee sector.<\/p>\n
Mayiga highlighted UCDA\u2019s longstanding partnership with Buganda, which includes providing seedlings and specialized training for the kingdom\u2019s \u2018Emwanyi Terimba\u2019 campaign to improve coffee quality and yields.<\/p>\n
\u201cUCDA\u2019s extension workers and training initiatives have been key to reaching rural farmers and ensuring Uganda\u2019s coffee meets international standards,\u201d Mayiga told journalists.<\/p>\n
He expressed concern that folding UCDA into MAAIF could dismantle these community-based networks and jeopardize Uganda\u2019s coffee export ambitions.<\/p>\n
The debate underscores a growing divide over the future of Uganda\u2019s coffee industry, one of the nation\u2019s top exports.<\/p>\n
While the government advocates for streamlined governance through ministerial consolidation, critics argue that disrupting UCDA\u2019s established structures risks undermining local farming communities and Uganda\u2019s global coffee standing.<\/p>\n
Museveni\u2019s address is expected to shed light on the government’s vision for the coffee sector and may attempt to address the growing concerns among stakeholders about the sector\u2019s stability and future direction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Leilah Bbaale President Museveni will address the nation tonight after weeks of tension over the government’s controversial decision to abolish the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA). Museveni’s address is scheduled for 8pm and will be aired on all natioanl radios and TVs, the presidency said. On Wednesday, Parliament passed the National Coffee Amendment Bill, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8259,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8360","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spicemedia.ug\/spicefm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spicemedia.ug\/spicefm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spicemedia.ug\/spicefm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spicemedia.ug\/spicefm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spicemedia.ug\/spicefm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8360"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/spicemedia.ug\/spicefm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8367,"href":"https:\/\/spicemedia.ug\/spicefm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8360\/revisions\/8367"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spicemedia.ug\/spicefm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spicemedia.ug\/spicefm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spicemedia.ug\/spicefm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spicemedia.ug\/spicefm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}