KAMPALA, Uganda — A senior ruling party official has petitioned President Yoweri Museveni to establish a state-backed modern coffee processing plant in the Bugisu sub-region, a key coffee-growing area in eastern Uganda.
Capt. (Rtd) Michael Mukula, the Vice Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) for the Eastern Region, framed the proposal as a critical step toward Uganda’s industrialization and economic independence in his appeal to the president.
Mukula credited his understanding of economic issues to the mentorship of Gen. (Rtd) Salim Saleh, a prominent figure in the government.
The former pilot and politician lauded Museveni’s efforts to challenge Africa’s reliance on exporting raw materials, a legacy of colonialism. He cited the president’s past warnings against this economic dependency, aligning his proposal with Museveni’s calls for value addition and industrialization.
Mukula pointed to Museveni’s recent support for coffee processing in Ntungamo District as a successful model that could be replicated in Bugisu, a region he described as “ready” to become Uganda’s hub for processed coffee exports.
The proposed processing plant, according to the petition, would increase Uganda’s capacity to export finished coffee products, generate thousands of jobs, particularly for youth through the Parish Development Model, ensure stable and better incomes for coffee farmers, boost foreign currency earnings, reduce economic vulnerability, and revitalize Uganda’s cooperative movements.
Mukula emphasized the initiative’s broader significance, portraying it as a signal to the African continent of Uganda’s commitment to overcoming its colonial economic past and promoting rural industrialization and East African trade.
The NRM leader pledged to mobilize political, social, and economic support in the region for the project if President Museveni approves it.
“With humility, conviction, and loyalty,” Mukula wrote, urging the president to support the initiative and potentially make Mbale, a major town in Bugisu, the center of value-added coffee production in Uganda.