Kabuleta slams Museveni’s coffee merger as "anti-rural prosperity"
Leader of the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) party, Joseph Kabuleta ,has criticised President Museveni, accusing him of enforcing policies that hinder rural Ugandans from attaining prosperity.
Kabuleta’s remarks come in response to the government’s proposed merger of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), a move he claims will harm coffee farmers and perpetuate poverty in rural communities.
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Speaking to the media in Kampala, Kabuleta called President Museveni a “liar” and alleged that the UCDA bill is specifically designed to curb wealth accumulation in rural Uganda.
He argued that the timing of the merger, amid Uganda’s rising coffee revenues, would primarily benefit foreign export companies and introduce additional layers of middlemen.
“The planned merger is determined to suppress any financial gains among farmers or anyone engaged in legitimate commercial activity,” he stated.
Uganda’s coffee exports recently surged from $846 million in 2022–2023 to $1.14 billion in the financial year ending mid-2024.
Kabuleta suggested that this increase in rural income has caused concern within Museveni’s administration, which he accused of seeking to control the coffee sector to keep Ugandans impoverished.
“This merger will create a scenario of middlemen,” Kabuleta said, alleging that Museveni has used similar tactics across other cash crops, reducing local profits.
The UCDA was initially established in 1991 to support coffee farmers after the dissolution of the Coffee Marketing Board (CMB).
Kabuleta warned that merging the UCDA with MAAIF would weaken its role in protecting local farmers, giving the government more control over coffee revenue distribution.
He argued that the merger could result in outcomes similar to previous government interventions in the fish, vanilla, cotton, and tea industries, which he claims have diminished local wealth due to regulations favouring foreign dominance.
Drawing comparisons, Kabuleta pointed to Uganda’s textile industry, which he said collapsed under Museveni’s administration. He criticised the President’s approach to “value addition” policies, alleging that they have restricted self-sustaining industries and stifled local wealth generation.
“Museveni’s administration killed Uganda’s textile industry,” he added, attributing the industry’s decline to policies that prioritized foreign over local interests.
Kabuleta issued a message to Ugandan voters ahead of the 2026 elections, accusing Museveni of enforcing a “Make Them Poor” policy to maintain political control.
He argued that with Uganda’s coffee revenues at a historic high, rural Ugandans should have the financial independence to vote without relying on government handouts like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga.
“The whole idea of Museveni in this coffee thing is to gain control to make sure farmers don’t get money,” he said, adding that he believes Uganda will experience unprecedented financial prosperity once Museveni leaves power.
