Ssenyonyi challenges Museveni to prove claims on coffee seedling distribution

Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi has called on President Museveni to provide evidence to support his recent claim that coffee seedlings are only being distributed to Opposition MPs, cautioning that unverified statements could promote a dangerous culture of political propaganda.

Speaking to journalists on November 12, 2024, after meeting with the Opposition Caucus, Ssenyonyi underscored coffee’s role in Uganda’s economic future, urging citizens to cultivate the crop for long-term prosperity.

“President Museveni is resorting to unfounded claims, suggesting the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) favors the Opposition in seedling distribution. This isn’t true, especially as NRM MPs have shown their own support for the initiative. We demand that the President backs up his statement,” Ssenyonyi insisted. “Just because you occupy State House doesn’t mean you can make baseless statements. We expect him to provide proof to avoid normalizing unverified claims.”

Ssenyonyi voiced his commitment to expanding coffee production across Uganda, urging all citizens to embrace coffee cultivation as part of a strategy for economic empowerment. “Growing coffee isn’t just a trend—it’s a path to a brighter future. The real power to shape Uganda’s coffee industry rests with the people, not in State House,” he said.

The Leader of Opposition condemned the recent violence in Parliament over the Coffee Bill, describing it as unacceptable and a disruption to meaningful debate. “Parliament is a place for intellectual debate, not violence. Last week, journalists were forcibly removed, detained, and even blocked from reporting by network jamming. Such actions are disgraceful,” he said.

The Opposition Caucus has pledged to seek answers from Speaker Anita Among on the identities of those responsible for the parliamentary violence, questioning her decision to remove Ssenyonyi’s remarks from the official record. “We need to know who disrupted Parliament. If the Speaker denies involvement of security operatives, then she should clarify who was behind it,” Ssenyonyi added.

The Opposition also questioned the rationale behind the suspension of 12 MPs, labeling it discriminatory. Ssenyonyi noted that MPs from both the Opposition and NRM engaged in heckling, yet only Opposition MPs were punished. “Suspensions should be fair and justified. Why were only Opposition MPs singled out while NRM members who heckled faced no consequences?” Ssenyonyi asked.

Ssenyonyi reiterated the Caucus’s commitment to reviving Uganda’s cash crops, including coffee, cotton, vanilla, and sugarcane, as essential to boosting the economy. He highlighted the sharp decline in sugarcane prices in Eastern Uganda from Shs250,000 to Shs50,000 per ton, calling for government intervention to support these key agricultural sectors.

He concluded with a pointed critique of government spending on projects like the Lubowa Specialized Hospital and Atiak Sugar Factory, accusing the government of wasting taxpayer money and neglecting to tackle Uganda’s annual Shs10 trillion loss to corruption. “If President Museveni is serious about saving taxpayer money, he should focus on fighting corruption, not defending it,” Ssenyonyi asserted.