Mukula petitions Museveni to fund coffee processing plant at Bugisu Cooperative Union
The building belonging to Bugisu Cooperative Union in Mbale Town. PHOTO BY FRED WAMBEDDE
What you need to know:
- Mr Nandala said that the Union is confident it can repay the loan within 10 years, aligning with its broader expansion and modernization goals.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Vice Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, Mr Mike Mukula, has petitioned President Museveni to support the establishment of a coffee processing plant under the Bugisu Cooperative Union (BCU). The initiative aims to enhance value addition and increase income for coffee farmers in eastern Uganda.
Mr Mukula, a long-time advocate for strengthening agricultural cooperatives, submitted the petition on April 28, 2025, emphasizing the potential economic benefits of processing coffee locally.
He noted that enabling BCU to process coffee domestically would not only empower farmers but also boost Uganda’s export value and reduce reliance on foreign processors.
He said the proposal aligns with national efforts to revitalize Uganda’s cooperative movement and promote agro-industrialization.
“Mr President, you have repeatedly enlightened us on the historical economic syndrome of Africa and Uganda – a syndrome anchored on the exportation of raw materials: the three CCC (Coffee, Cotton, and Copper), later extended to three TTT (Tea, Tourism, and Tobacco). You have persistently warned against this colonial legacy that traps Africa in cycles of economic dependency and vulnerability,” the petition reads in part.
In the detailed letter, Mr Mukula reiterated President Museveni’s long-standing call for industrialization and economic transformation.
“You have consistently called upon us to metamorphose from a raw-materials-based economy into a value addition and industrial-driven economy, where Uganda's exports to global markets reflect real value, rather than the painful narrative of shipping away our wealth in its rawest, cheapest form,” Mr. Mukula wrote.
Aligning himself with the President’s vision, Mr Mukula emphasized that value addition is central to achieving economic sovereignty across Africa.
“If Africa and Uganda are to attain true economic independence, we must radically transform the structure of our economies, disrupt the exploitative value chains, and capture the full benefits of our God-given resources through value addition and industrialization,” he added.
Mr Mukula praised President Museveni’s recent intervention in Ntungamo District, where efforts to add value to Robusta coffee have already yielded positive results. He described the initiative as “an outstanding model of how strategic state action can rewire local economies, empower farmers, increase national revenues, and project Uganda's stature in international markets.”
Building on that success, Mr Mukula urged the President to extend similar support to Bugisu, globally renowned for its premium Arabica coffee, by establishing a modern coffee processing plant in partnership with BCU.
According to Mr Mukula, the proposed project would; expand Uganda’s capacity to export fully processed coffee rather than raw beans, create thousands of jobs, especially for youth under the Parish Development Model, offer farmers predictable and better-paying markets, strengthen foreign exchange earnings and reduce exposure to global price shocks and modernize cooperative structures and restore confidence among smallholder farmers.
“This project would be a strategic extension of your broader vision for rural industrialization, a catalyst for East African trade integration, and a model for how Uganda can break free from colonial economic patterns,” Mr Mukula stated.
He concluded the petition by pledging his full support: “As Vice Chairman for the Eastern region of the NRM, I pledge to mobilize the political, social, and economic structures necessary to support this initiative should it receive your blessings. Bugisu is ready. Uganda is ready. Africa is watching.”
Earlier in April, the BCU Board requested a $60 million loan from the government to acquire solubles-processing equipment aimed at boosting value addition in coffee production.
Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, Chairperson of the BCU Board and MP for Budadiri West, said the loan would be used to procure machines that enhance coffee processing.
Mr Nandala added that the Union is confident it can repay the loan within 10 years, aligning with its broader expansion and modernization goals.
