Buganda Kingdom has gazetted land for its new coffee company, Mwanyi Terimba Limited, to establish a fully fledged processing plant for green coffee and value added coffee (roasted coffee).
“The Kingdom has acquired land donated by the Mwanyi Terimba Limited organization in Nakisunga (Mukono district), where a coffee processing and roasting plant will be built to enhance the quality of coffee,” said the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer of Buganda, Owek. Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa on Thursday at Mengo.
The development comes a week after Parliament passed the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024, integrating the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) into the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF).
The Buganda Kingdom’s plans to build its coffee processing and roasting facility could be seen as a move to counter potential negative effects from the dissolution of UCDA, ensuring that its coffee growers maintain both control and quality standards.
Buganda Prime Minister Peter Mayiga had publicly expressed opposition to government’s plans to dissolve UCDA, “since it superintends coffee production, upon which nearly 2 million Ugandan households depend.”
“Apparently, scrapping UCDA is a punishment against Baganda, who contribute nearly 50% of coffee exports, since Speaker Anita Among (and those who support scrapping UCDA) see the Amendment Bill as a victory against Baganda!” he added.
The government argued that dissolving the UCDA would streamline administration and reduce redundancy, integrating coffee management within a more comprehensive agricultural policy.
Speaking at a social event at Mengo, Nsibirwa stated that the Kabaka’s Government is encouraging everyone to increase coffee farming, and “there are initiatives to strengthen the Kingdom’s agriculture organization, BUCADEF.”
Nsibirwa urged the people of Buganda to “be wise and committed to coffee farming”, ensuring they maintain high standards, as this was “Buganda’s plan for prosperity.”
The top Kingdom official further said, “it had been discovered that coffee farming can help alleviate poverty for the monarchy’s subjects.”
Fear
Despite government’s reassurances of better management of the coffee industry, the concerns of Buganda and other local leaders indicate a deeper fear of losing regional influence over an industry vital to local livelihoods and economic autonomy.
Coffee is Uganda’s top agricultural export, and the central region, where Buganda is located, is one of the highest producers in the country. Buganda’s climate and fertile soils make it ideal for both Robusta and Arabica coffee varieties, though Robusta is more prevalent.
Uganda produces about 6-7 million 60-kg bags of coffee annually, of which Buganda’s central region contributes significantly— over 25% of the country’s total coffee output. Buganda’s contribution is notable in districts like Mukono, Kayunga, and Luweero.
Moreso, coffee farming in Buganda provides employment to a large portion of the population.
UCDA estimates that about 1.7 million Ugandan households are engaged in coffee farming, a significant percentage of which are in the Buganda region.
Coffee farming also contributes considerably to household incomes in Buganda. Earnings from coffee exports exceeded $900 million in recent years, and Buganda’s farmers are direct beneficiaries of this revenue.
Increased production in Buganda has been a goal of both the Buganda Kingdom’s BUCADEF (Buganda Cultural and Development Foundation) and the Ugandan government.
Nsibirwa also asked Buganda to “take ownership of coffee farming”, as they do with their livestock, and “consistently uphold high standards since coffee has a stable market.”
Nsibirwa highlighted that the price of Kase (a type of coffee) was previously at Shs 3,000, Shs 5,000, and later Shs 15,000, but the real value of income is crucial.
“Without focus on coffee, you risk becoming impoverished,” said Nsibirwa.
