The second Deputy Katikkiro of Buganda, Robert Wagwa Nsibirwa has appealed to Buganda farmers not to be derailed by the parliamentarians’ bid to pass a law rationalising the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), but to continue growing coffee as the mainstay of their wellbeing.
Nsibirwa, who doubles as the Buganda Kingdom’s treasurer noted that it is now an open secret that coffee is the main contributor to the financial strength of people in Buganda as individuals and as a region, and that as such, they should not be misdirected to think that stopping coffee growing is the solution to the recent move.
This follows Wednesday’s decision by parliament to pass a bill merging UCDA with the mother Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF).
He was speaking at Wakiso district’s budget conference held at WAKISHA Resource Centre, during which it was shown that the district’s budget for 2025/2026 is estimated to rise from sh122bn to sh144bn, with emphasis laid on agriculture and with a preference on coffee growing.
Among the outstanding finance department achievements cited is a co-ordinated budgeting process, an automated revenue collection system, procurement of a brand new double cabin vehicle for easier revenue mobilization, among others.
Wagwa stressed Buganda’s non segregative policy, clarifying that the Kabaka is not for Baganda alone but for all working, living and staying in Buganda.
“It is therefore essential that we move together with the central government, districts and all agencies of development to be able to make an impact in transforming our people”, he said.
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The Deputy Premier emphasized Buganda’s capacity to mobilise people for any purpose, and advised Wakiso leaders not to ignore approaching Buganda leadership whenever there is need to mobilize people.
Wakiso district chairperson, Dr. Matia Lwanga Bwanika echoed the Deputy Katikkiro’s stand of encouraging Baganda not to lose heart over removal of the UCDA, saying that it is a short lived political move which should not be allowed to strangle long term development
“Some of the implementers of this sinister plan are in the evening time of their lives who will go away and leave programmes to take their course “, Bwanika said.
He had no kind words for the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) which he kept referring to as dead.
“NEMA is a dead authority; it is engaged in implementing segregative policies by evicting people from wetlands like Lubigi and giving a go-ahead to others to fill it with soil to set up new developments”, the district boss said.
Bwanika also attacked the centre for keeping districts’ forwards movement at a standstill by taking their locally collected taxes and never returning it, thus paralysing service delivery, which he said, in turn makes taxpayers reluctant to pay.
On crop irrigation, he said it has failed to take off because farmers are required to make advance payment before accessing it, but that because people have lost confidence in government agencies, they are reluctant to pay.
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In his address, the executive director Buganda Land Board, Simon Kaboggoza Muwanga called on district leaders to advise people in land wrangle infested areas to endeavor to get documents pertaining to their land, as a way of decreasing the many court cases rooted in land ownership.
Kaboggoza also appealed to bibanja owners to avoid rifts with landlords, but endeavor to move in unity, advising that one way of achieving this is through prompt and regular payment of busuulu.