Kampala – Members of Parliament expressed astonishment and skepticism during a heated session of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), where the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) claimed that Uganda’s coffee export earnings have more than doubled to around US$2.2 billion (approximately UGX 7.89 trillion) within a year following the merger of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) into the ministry.
Permanent Secretary Maj. Gen. (Rtd) David Kasura Kyomukama, appearing before PAC to respond to queries raised in the December 2025 Auditor General’s report, defended the figures. He attributed the surge to improved management, enhanced research, streamlined operations under MAAIF, and support from parliamentary committees.
Kasura stated:
“Under our watch, the export of coffee has more than doubled. We are now exporting about US$2.2 billion worth of coffee. We intend to double this, hopefully. And this is out of good management, out of research, out of the work of your guidance and other people, and of the hard work of the men and women who might happen to have the opportunity to lead.”
He also highlighted broader growth in agricultural exports, which he said had risen from about US$2 billion to US$4.12 billion (UGX 15.07 trillion), with coffee contributing roughly 30 percent of Uganda’s total exports, according to Bank of Uganda data. Kasura dismissed critics of the UCDA merger as “prophets of doom,” maintaining that the integration, completed in late 2024, has eliminated duplication and improved efficiency.
However, several MPs questioned the narrative, arguing that such a dramatic increase within a short period raises legitimate concerns, given coffee’s multi-year growth cycle.
Xavier Kyooma (Ibanda North) expressed doubt about attributing the rise solely to the merger.
“I appreciate your submissions, but as to whether the exports more than doubled or the increase can be attributed to the Ministry since UCDA was taken to the Ministry, that one is debatable. The immediate increase cannot really be attributed to that, because that means that coffee was already grown,” he said.
Ignatius Mudimi (Elgon County) raised concerns about declining field support and quality.
“I come from Bugisu, where we grow Arabica coffee. The quality has deteriorated, largely because we don’t see your staff in the field like UCDA used to. Traders buy good coffee from me, then they mix it with other substances to increase volume,” Mudimi told the committee.
Asuman Basalirwa (Bugiri Municipality) pointed to unpaid debts owed to seedling suppliers from the UCDA era, further fueling concerns about disrupted services following the transition.
MPs argued that the coffee currently fetching record prices and volumes was largely planted and nurtured under the independent UCDA framework. They questioned whether the merger deserves the credit, or whether external factors such as high global coffee prices, improved Arabica output, and expanded export markets are responsible for the surge.
Official figures show strong performance. In calendar year 2025, Uganda exported 8.7 million 60-kg bags of coffee worth US$2.5 billion, up from 5.9 million bags valued at US$1.4 billion in 2024 — representing a 48 percent increase in volume and a 71 percent rise in value. For the 12 months ending October 2025, exports reached 8.4 million bags valued at US$2.4 billion, with Uganda ranking among Africa’s leading coffee exporters during that period.
The merger, effected through the National Coffee (Amendment) Act, 2024, sparked significant debate, particularly in coffee-growing regions such as Bugisu and Buganda. Critics warned that dissolving UCDA could weaken specialized extension services, quality control systems, and international accreditation structures that had been built over decades.
With coffee remaining Uganda’s leading agricultural foreign exchange earner and a livelihood for millions of rural households, the sharp exchanges in Parliament reflect broader national debate over whether the reform represents a policy success or a premature claim amid emerging farmer complaints of seedling shortages and reduced field support.
