In a nine-page response to the opposition against rationalizing UCDA, Museveni claimed that Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) has done in a few years more than what UCDA has done since it was created to improve coffee productivity and marketability.
“If UCDA and NAADS were successful, why were 68% of the homesteads still outside the money economy by 2013? OWC did much more work than NAADS, UCDA and CDO combined. In the Masaka area, Col. Nsamba has distributed 1,000,074 coffee seedlings and caused the planting of 38,666.6 acres of coffee. OWC also gave out other planting and breeding materials: tea, fruits, pigs, cassava, etc. That is how, for the first time in the history of Uganda, the number of the households in the money economy is now 67% and those outside the money economy are 33%,” Museveni said.
He added that it is fraudulent for National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), UCDA, and UDA, among others, to claim that the big boost in agricultural production is because of their efforts and that if they are not there, production will suffer.
“I am the one who promoted the massive dairy production in the cattle corridor—all the way from Bukanga (Isingiro) to Karuma in Kiryandongo district. My dairy cattle evangelism would have reached the Karamoja border if leaders were humble enough to learn new things. I have been bringing delegations from all over Uganda to learn from the success in the cattle corridor to Rwakyitura, Kisozi, Nyakaana, Mrs. Kizza of Masaka, etc. It is only Speaker Anita Among who promptly copied my example of cattle rearing when she visited me at Kisozi. She has now more than 1000 cattle,” Museveni said.
The president also condemned what he called tribalism that has characterized the debate on coffee. There has been stiff opposition from MPs from Buganda over the rationalizing of UCDA. The MPs have argued that doing so will adversely affect coffee production in the region. But Museveni wouldn’t have any of it.
“To be condemned are those who I hear try to bring in the nonsensical tribalism. When Katikkiro Mayiga joined us in promoting coffee, we welcomed him. However, as OWC demonstrated, we were already moving… It is, therefore, sheer dishonesty to bring up tribalism where the NRM is involved. The massive industries the NRM has built are mainly in Buganda-Namanve, Mukono, Kapeeka, Matugga-Gombe area, Luwero Industries in Nakasongola, Kisozi, etc. These have direct benefit to nearby populations if they are well guided to take advantage of them,” Museveni said.
Buganda Kingdom Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga said that while it was obvious that the Coffee Amendment Bill was targeting Buganda, it should also encourage Baganda and other people of Uganda to continue growing coffee.
It should be noted that in the past weeks, Uganda joined BRICS as a partner state, joining Brazil and Ethiopia as the largest coffee producers in the world.
