Coffee Wars: Buganda Vs Speaker Anita Among

Debate on the controversial National Coffee Amendment Bill 2024, which, among others, seeks to place Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) under the Ministry of Agriculture in the Rationalization of Government Agencies and Public Expenditure (RAPEX) policy, has drawn lines between Buganda, and Parliament led by Speaker Anita Among.

Under RAPEX, President Yoweri Museveni’s government seeks to merge, mainstream, and rationalize various government agencies, commissions, and authorities as a way of cutting out those that are duplicated or redundant and cut down on public expenditure.

Buganda MPs voiced their disdain for the National Coffee Amendment Bill 2024. Some on social media widely shared a video clip they claimed showed that Speaker Anita Among was working against the Baganda, especially regarding coffee growing.

Buganda Kingdom Prime Minister Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga said the bill was meant to punish Buganda but called on the king’s subjects not to give up coffee growing.

In Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga’s Words…

The Kingdom of Buganda has severally advised against scrapping UCDA since it suprintends 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! Emmwanyi Terimba Initiative will go on unabated…

I urge Baganda (and other Ugandans) to continue growing coffee: your livelihood is more important than the motives of present day politicians.

But through Chris Obore, the director of communication and public affairs at Parliament, the institution sought to defend the speaker, dismissing the video as a failure at artificial intelligence and making a case against tribal rhetoric in processing the coffee bill.

Speaker Anita Among’s Parliament’s position…

There is a video circulating online of the Rt Hon. Speaker of Parliament consulting with the Clerk at Table off the microphone on the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The video does not capture what she said fully and some people are attempting to complete her sentences based on their own biases.

That characterisation is rejected as a poor attempt at using artificial intelligence to score political goals. A section of Hon. Members of Parliament had alleged that the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is ‘poison served by government to the people of Buganda’.

The Speaker urged Hon. Members not to attach tribal sentiments to the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and cited other areas like Bugisu where coffee is the main cash crop, therefore, the Bill should not be seen as targeting a specific region.

She tasked the Government Chief Whip not to allow tribal sentiments to obscure the general intent of the Bill. The Speaker enjoys an intentional and respectful relationship with the people and the leadership of Buganda, which is why an hour before the sitting, she met and consulted with the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus on the Bill.

She urges Hon. Members to debate and mobilise for or against the Bill without tribal lenses.

Meanwhile, Museveni has announced his position on the coffee bill, explaining why UCDA Must Go, Condemning Those Tribalizing Agency Rationalization, and Critics on External Forces’ Payroll, as reported HERE.

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