Museveni defends rationalization of UCDA, other agencies
President Museveni argued that agencies like UCDA, NAADS (National Agricultural Advisory Services), and the Dairy Development Authority (DDA) were originally established to accelerate development and ensure productivity, especially during Uganda’s challenging economic times when government salaries were low.
In a detailed statement addressing the “Bazzukulu” (youth) and Ugandans, President Yoweri Museveni has defended the government’s decision to streamline parasitic agencies, such as the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and others, that he claims have failed to drive economic transformation as envisioned.
President Museveni argued that agencies like UCDA, NAADS (National Agricultural Advisory Services), and the Dairy Development Authority (DDA) were originally established to accelerate development and ensure productivity, especially during Uganda’s challenging economic times when government salaries were low.
The goal was to allow some projects to operate outside the conventional government structure, paying higher salaries to attract skilled labor. Yet, despite years of effort, the President pointed out that by 2013, 68% of Ugandan households remained outside the money economy.
“Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) was launched in 2013 to address this gap by distributing planting materials directly to farmers,” he emphasized, citing the Masaka region as an example, where over a million coffee seedlings were planted. Museveni highlighted the progress achieved through OWC, which has helped bring 67% of households into the money economy.
However, Museveni noted that while OWC had its successes, similar complaints eventually emerged about mismanagement, overpriced materials, and untimely distributions. These challenges led to the development of the Parish Development Model (PDM), aimed at empowering communities to manage and procure their agricultural needs.
The President also dismissed claims that the increased agricultural production was solely due to NAADS or UCDA efforts. Citing examples from his own initiatives in dairy and coffee farming, Museveni claimed that the agricultural advancements largely resulted from a combination of stable governance, NRM-driven reform, and public and private investment in value addition.
In particular, Museveni addressed the coffee industry, describing Uganda’s USD 900 million coffee exports as “peanuts” when compared to the potential earnings from value addition.
“With roasting, grinding, and packaging, we can multiply this income fifteenfold,” he asserted, comparing Uganda’s earnings with Germany, which earns USD 65 billion from coffee without growing it. He called on stakeholders to pursue “rational” reforms to maximize Uganda’s share of the USD 460 billion global coffee market.
The rationalization strategy, Museveni said, seeks to eliminate redundancy, inefficiency, and dependency on international donors.
In a closing appeal, the President urged Ugandans to reject “tribalism” and “false chauvinism” that may mislead them against the reforms, affirming that economic growth is achievable with rational, stable policies and consistent community support.
