THE KIGOOGWA FIRE TRAGEDY:
The Party mourns the loss of lives in the Kigoogwa- Nansana Munici[pality, Wakiso District. The Kigoogwa fire incident occurred last week on Tuesday afternoon for where a fuel tanker after making an accident exploded and caused fire in Kigoogwa that resulted in significant losses and casualties, including 24 deaths. The incident has left the local community, especially boda boda riders, in distress, with many launching fundraising campaigns to support affected families. The business community is also counting losses after shops and merchandise were destroyed in the blaze.
The FDC Party extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the Kigoogwa fire. May God grant them strength, comfort, and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss and may the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace.
We demand for a thorough, impartial investigation into the cause of the fire, full accountability, and improved disaster preparedness, safety standards and emergency response.
We are concerned that the Government has failed to address the systemic Issues regarding disaster management. We propose the decentralization fire brigade units to Sub Districts (constituencies) nearer to the people aims to enhance emergency response and accessibility. This move would ensure that fire services are more localized, reducing response times and improving effectiveness in combating fires. We believe Fire stations closer to communities can respond swiftly to emergencies, saving lives and property and also Localized fire services can navigate familiar terrain, reaching remote areas more efficiently. We further contend that Decentralized units can foster stronger community ties, promoting fire safety awareness and prevention. If We had a fire Unit at Nansana Municipality Headquarters, the tragedy wouldn’t be as severe as it was.
UGANDA COFFEE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (UCDA) MERGER
Last week, Uganda’s Parliament had a dramatic first reading of the rappex bill to merge the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) to the mother Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) where Hon. Linda Auma, the Lira District Woman MP and Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture presented the majority report to the house presided over by Speaker Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among. The majority report recommended merging the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) with the Ministry of Agriculture. However, Hon. Asinansi Nyakato, Hoima City Woman MP, countered it with a minority report, opposing the merger where MPs after an intense debate, voted 159 in favour of the bill and 77 against the bill leading the bill to its second reading and in the dramatic move, led the Speaker to adjourn the House sine die.
Uganda is renowned for its high-quality coffee, and its ranking as a coffee-growing country is impressive. In fact, Uganda is among the top coffee producers in Africa, and its coffee is in high demand globally. The country’s coffee industry has seen significant growth, with coffee exports reaching a record-breaking $1.14 billion in 2023/24, the highest value in 30 years. This achievement is attributed to effective regulation by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), which has improved coffee quality and earned farmers the highest prices in 30 years (currently a kilo of coffee beans cost between UGX13000- UGX14000)
Uganda’s coffee is particularly prized for its distinctive flavor profile, which is showcased at international coffee expos. The country’s coffee roasters are also committed to championing value addition and industry growth, with the Uganda Coffee Roasters Association (UCRA) working to promote domestic coffee consumption and increase Uganda’s market share of roasted coffee.
Overall, Uganda’s reputation as a premier coffee-growing country is well-deserved, and its coffee industry continues to thrive. Coffee growing is a lucrative industry which employs over 12.5Million Ugandans.
Where as the FDC Party supports rationalization but, in a case, -by-case manner where we believe that creative essential Government agencies and entities should be retained and consumptive agencies and entities should be merged with their mother Ministries, Particularly, We are strongly opposed to the unrealistic Government’s concerted efforts of rationalization of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) back to the Ministry of Agriculture which we believe if its successfully done, will reduce UCDA to a mere desk under the Ministry of Agriculture. We think Government should prioritize the interests of coffee farmers and stakeholders. Considering the UCDA’s successes, such as improving coffee quality and boosting exports to a record-breaking $1.14 billion (approximately UGX. 6Trillion) rationalization should not compromise these gains.
The President’s letter authored yesterday about the merger of UCDA is nothing but total impunity and it has negative impact on coffee industry. He blamed Ugandans who don’t support the rationalization blaming that we are under the influence of the external powers which is a lie. We want to inform the President that Ethiopia and Kenya used the same route of rationalizing their coffee entities and their coffee production went down.
We in the FDC Party, we are concerned about the Ministry of Agriculture’s competence, given its track record of mismanaging key sectors. Specifically, the fishing industry which has been plagued by maladministration, prompting the President to assign the UPDF to oversee it. Similarly, the animal husbandry sector has struggled, with allegations of embezzlement of funds meant for foot and mouth disease vaccine. Parliament allocated approximately $176 million (about 668.6 billion) for the foot and mouth disease vaccine in the financial year 2023/2024. This amount was intended to cover the procurement of 88million doses that was needed for the bi annual vaccination exercise with each dose costing $2 (about UGX 7,598) Ever since last year, The Agricultural Ministry has never procured the vaccine yet they received the funding.
The Agricultural Ministry’s mandate includes formulating and implementing national policies, plans, and strategies for crops, livestock, and fisheries, as well as enforcing laws and regulations. However, its performance in these areas has been questionable. The Ministry is organized into four directorates, including Animal Resources, Crop Resources, Fisheries Resources, and Agricultural Extension Services and 13 departments.
Our worries are compounded by the potential merger of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) with the Ministry, which could undermine UCDA’s specialized expertise and autonomy.
FDC’s strong opposition to the UCDA merger to MAAIF is premised on the following Key Considerations:
• Autonomy and Expertise: UCDA’s specialized focus on coffee development has led to improved regulation and quality enhancement where coffee farmers have been equipped with the skills from planting, handling of the coffee wit, harvesting, storage and all the value chains. We think Merging it with the Ministry of Agriculture might dilute this expertise.
• Farmer Interests: The UCDA’s efforts to promote farmer registration, geo-location, and traceability should continue uninterrupted. Its our considered opinion that the MAAIF is technically incompetent and incapacitated to handle all this task.
• Economic Benefits: Coffee exports are crucial to Uganda’s economy; We think the changes cannot ensure continued growth and competitiveness already UCDA has been suffering with from being underfunded to execute its core functions and mandate but housing it under the Ministry of Agriculture will be an automatic transition from better to worse.
We in the FDC Party advocate for:
• Maintaining UCDA’s autonomy to preserve its expertise and focus on coffee development. Basing on UCDA’s success story, we should rather maintain it and fund it more to realize more gains. As Parliament goes to the second stage of bill reading it should put into consideration the issues raised by key coffee stakeholders and maintain the status quo.
• Strengthening partnerships between UCDA, Ministry of Agriculture, and other stakeholders to enhance coordination and resource allocation.
• Ensuring farmer-centric policies that promote fair prices, improved quality, and sustainable production practices.
We think by taking a thoughtful and inclusive approach, the Government of the day, can balance the need for rationalization with the interests of coffee stakeholders and Uganda’s economic growth and We encourage coffee farmers to continue engaging aggressively in coffee as the battle for the soul of coffee industry rages on.
MULINDWA WALID LUBEGA
FDC DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR PUBLICITY-PUBLICATIONS