Uganda’s President signs Coffee Bill into law

President Yoweri Museveni has signed into law the controversial National Coffee (Amendment) Bill 2024.

A statement released by the Presidential Press Unit (PPU) on Monday indicated that the President assented to the bill on Friday, December 20, 2024.

“The Presidential Press Unit (PPU) wishes to inform the public that His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, has signed the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024, into law,” the statement reads in part.

Parliament passed the bill on November 6, 2024, integrating the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) into the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF).

The move was part of the government’s Rationalization of Agencies and Public Expenditure policy, aimed at streamlining public expenditure and reducing redundant administrative structures.

The passage of the bill, which reshapes the country’s coffee regulatory framework, took place during a plenary sitting amid heightened tensions and a walkout led by leader of the opposition (LoP) Joel Ssenyonyi.

The session began, with opposition legislators clashing on the floor shortly after state minister for Works Musa Ecweru introduced a separate bill, the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) Repeal Bill, 2024.

The sitting was suspended twice by speaker Anita Among, first for 30 minutes following a scuffle involving Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake and Kilak North MP Anthony Akol. Zaake alleged the presence of a firearm in the chamber, sparking chaos as he attempted to confront the speaker’s bodyguard, leading to a physical altercation with Akol.

Following the first suspension, Among returned to announce a second suspension and ordered the removal of 12 MPs, including Zaake and Akol, for inciting violence.

Others suspended included Wakayama Musoke, MP Nansana Municipality; Shamim Malende, Kampala Woman MP; Susan Mugabi, Kalangala District Woman MP; Isaiah Sasaga, MP Budadiri West; Evans Kanyike, MP Bukoto East; Asinasi Nyakato, Hoima City Woman MP; Frank Kabuye, MP Kassanda North; and, Charles Tebandeke, MP Bbaale County; Alozyious Mukasa, MP Rubaga North; and Derrick Nyeko, MP Makindye East.

The opposition then walked out in protest over alleged mistreatment by security and restrictions on journalists, who were initially removed from the press gallery. Ssenyonyi condemned the handling of opposition MPs and the press, stating, “Members can’t be bundled up, beaten up in this house; the media was thrown out as if a crime was being committed.”

After the second resumption, with a primarily National Resistance Movement (NRM) presence, the house proceeded with the contentious National Coffee Bill, ultimately passing it with 305 votes in favour. The bill allows for a three-year transitional period and mandates that the Agriculture minister draft regulations within six months to guide the new structure for coffee regulation.

The opposition, particularly MPs from coffee-growing regions, strongly opposed the dissolution of UCDA, arguing that Uganda risks losing international certifications vital for its coffee exports. They argued that UCDA’s 32-year legacy was key to maintaining standards and ensuring global competitiveness. In response, the government assured that the Ministry’s new coffee department would retain expertise and ensure smooth transitions.