Inspire Africa Chief Executive Officer Tugume Nelson has called on coffee-growing communities in Kapchorwa District to treat coffee as a serious economic lifeline, arguing that Uganda can only benefit fully from the crop if locals take ownership of value addition and emerging income streams such as coffee tourism.
Tugume made the remarks during a community engagement with Mt. Elgon Women in Specialty Coffee Ltd, where he said Uganda continues to earn disproportionately little from a product that generates billions of dollars globally.
“Our desire is to take coffee as a serious commodity and a livelihood that will improve our lives,” Tugume said.
“We must realise who we are, take charge of our destiny and our brand, and sell it to the rest of the world.”
He said beyond farming, coffee tourism — including farm visits, processing experiences and tasting tours — presents an opportunity to create jobs for young people who may not be directly involved in growing the crop.
“It is possible and doable. Through participation, that’s when we shall be able to improve and change our lives,” Tugume added.
During the visit, Tugume donated Shs50 million to Mt Elgon Women in Specialty Coffee, describing the contribution as a starting point to boost production and value addition in the Elgon sub-region.
He said the long-term goal is to support households to earn at least 500 dollars from coffee, particularly by attracting more youth into the value chain.
Mt Elgon Women in Specialty Coffee Chief Executive Officer Christine Muga said the support will benefit more than 1,200 farmers organised in over 20 groups across Kapchorwa and neighbouring areas. She said the organisation focuses on training farmers in processing, quality improvement and farm management.
“The visit is going to uplift the status of our communities through coffee farming,” Muga said. “You don’t need to have gone to school — you only need the skill and willingness to participate.”
She noted that coffee has already helped many families build homes and educate their children, but warned that climate change poses a growing threat to progress.
Excessive rainfall in the region has led to mudslides and landslides, resulting in loss of life and destruction of farms, increasing pressure on already vulnerable households.
Tugume also urged the community to support President Yoweri Museveni, saying the government has continued to promote coffee farming and skills development in the Elgon region.
“This government has continued to promote coffee farming. We must work as communities and support plans that transform our lives, and this can only be achieved by us overwhelmingly voting for Yoweri Museveni come January 15 to protect our already existing gains,” he said.
Farmers in the area said coffee has already improved household incomes and enabled them to support their children’s education, adding that increased value addition could accelerate economic transformation.
As global demand for Ugandan coffee continues to grow, the message from Kapchorwa was clear: the future of the industry must be shaped by the communities that produce it.
