King Saha has joined the chorus of voices speaking against the government’s recent move to incorporate the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) into the Ministry of Agriculture.
Saha has warned that this shift could be disastrous for the economy, predicting that Uganda’s coffee industry may suffer the same fate as other once-thriving crops like moringa, tobacco, cotton, and vanilla.
For weeks, debates over the Coffee Amendment Bill have stirred controversy in Uganda’s parliament and among the public. The bill, which seeks to transfer UCDA’s mandate to the Agriculture Ministry, has met strong opposition from both the political sphere and Buganda Kingdom leaders. Many fear that this shift could undermine the coffee industry’s growth, which has historically been a major economic driver for the country.
In a heartfelt message shared online, King Saha expressed his worries, addressing Uganda’s leaders directly.
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“Dear Leaders, it looks like Uganda is losing it all… COFFEE has always been our main cash crop, our agricultural backbone. If we allow it to follow the footsteps of moringa, tobacco, cotton, and vanilla, then we are doomed,” he wrote. “Our leaders, the ball is in your hands. God bless you, God bless Uganda.”
Opposition figures and the Buganda cultural institution share Saha’s concerns, asserting that placing UCDA under the Ministry of Agriculture could strip the coffee sector of its independence and weaken the efforts dedicated solely to coffee development.
They argue that the unique focus required to sustain and expand Uganda’s coffee industry would be diluted, potentially jeopardizing a crop that has long been Uganda’s agricultural backbone.