President Museveni has lashed out at people opposed to the integration of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) into the ministry of Agriculture claiming some of them could be on the payroll of “external forces.”
In an eight page statement laced with “I did this, I did that”, the president said he had been at the forefront of transforming the agricultural sector in this country from coffee to milk to maize to everything.
He said it is “him” who launched the campaign to bring 68% of the Ugandan homesteads into the money economy.
Museveni said it is “him” who promoted the groiwng of bananas, fruits and cofee in the Kisozi area.
The president emphaised that it is “him” who promoted the massive dairy production in the cattle corridor – 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,” the president said.
When the dairy sector was in decline, the president reminded the country that it is “him” who brought the milk processing firm, Sameer, which introduced the processing of milk to powder.
Therefore he said, it is “fraudulent for NAADS, UCDA, etc., to claim that the big boost in Agricultural production is because of their efforts and that if they are not there, production will suffer.”
Museveni’s terse statment comes amid a hot debate on whether to merge UCDA with the ministry of Agriculture. Many MPs from Buganda, a major coffee growing area, are opposed to the move. Even the Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga argued that the move appears intended to punish Buganda.
But the president warned those who were infusing tribal sentiments into this debate.
“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…,” he wrote.