Legislators have cast doubts on claims made by the Ministry of Agriculture that coffee exports in Uganda doubled within a year after taking over Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), arguing that it is too early for the Ministry to claim the success because the coffee exported within this period was planted during the reign of UCDA, and there is increased complaints by farmers on lack of coffee seedlings and limited access to extension workers, which wasn’t the case during UCDA era. This followed remarks made by David Kasura Kyomukama, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture while appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to respond to queries raised in the December 2025 Auditor General’s report.
“Because of the good work of this committee with the Ministry of Agriculture, we have expanded the output from agriculture export from about US$2 Billion, we now export about US$4.12 Billion (UGX15.070 Trillion) worth of goods. These are the figures from Bank of Uganda last year, this represents about 30 percent of the total exports of Uganda. Of course, we are helped with coffee. You remember that when they were rationalising the UCDA, many people really were prophets of doom,” Kasura explained. He added, “But I am glad to say that under our watch, the export of coffee has more than doubled. We are now exporting about US$2.2 Billion (UGX7.890 Trillion) worth of coffee. We intend to double this, hopefully. And this is on view out of good management, out of research, out of the work that your guidance, the guidance of this committee and other people, and of the hard work of the men and women who might happen to have the opportunity to lead.”
Xavier Kyooma (Ibanda North) argued that coffee being exported wasn’t planted during the reign of the Ministry of Agriculture, rather under UCDA regulation. “I appreciate your submissions, but as to whether the exports more than doubled or exports increase can be attributed to the Ministry, since UCDA was taken to the Ministry, that one is debatable, because UCDA has just been taken to the Ministry, the immediate increase cannot really be attributed to that, because that means that coffee was already grown,” Kyooma said.
However, Kasura defended his position saying, “I take credit because it is our brains which thought up this strategy. I take credit for this and for saying, it is a natural progression from coffee marketing board.” He added “You remember that from 1962, actually from the times of those colonialists to about 1990s, coffee was being regulated by a body, coffee marketing board, which would even decide the price and the amount that you could grow of coffee. But now, the private sector dictates the price. Now, the fact that we have thought that let us take away our hands from spoiling, is itself something to be commended.”
Kyooma also decried the limited access to extension services reporting that unlike during the UCDA reign where farmers had access to extension services, things have since changed and now, some farmers in Ibanda are reporting coffee plants drying up. “The old coffee which we have is drying up. You can never get someone who will come and pay you actually the advice we get, just cut that one and plant more. So where is the Ministry in this? We are just giving you information so that you know ahead of the situation,” Kyooma said.
Igantius Mudimi (Elgon County) pointed out that there has been a notable decline of access to extension services and monitoring, a gap that has seen farmers mix coffee with foreign products in order to boost the volumes of their bags. “I come from Bugisu, where we grow Arabica coffee. The quality has deteriorated, largely because we don’t see your staff in the field, like UCDA used to. You see, traders buy good coffee from me, then they mix with other substances, just to increase the volume. There is a type of beans, they are small, if you are not careful, they look like coffee. We call it (kamwanyi) in our language because they look like coffee. So, they mix beans, with the coffee, and they sell and they really compromise the quality,” Mudimi said.
Asuman Basalirwa (Bugiri Municipality) raised concerns over the failure by both UCDA and Ministry of Agriculture to clear arrears of coffee seedling farmers that supplied to Government but are yet to be cleared. “UCDA has been working with the private suppliers of seedlings and in Bugiri, I know that many people were supplying seedlings under UCDA, they used to have their own nursery beds, they would be contacted by UCDA and given areas to supply. Supplies were made, but they were not paid and up to now, they are demanding money,” Basalirwa said. He added ” And the UCDA is now under your ministry. I want to find out what assurance the peers will make to ensure that these private suppliers will actually be paid, because the information is available.”
Credit: Parliament Watch
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