Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi addressed the media on Tuesday at Parliament, highlighting heightened security around the parliamentary premises and anticipating additional deployments.
Police have been heavily deployed at Parliament as Opposition Members of Parliament mobilize to block the third reading of the Coffee Bill in today’s plenary session.
Members of Parliament, staff and visitors accessing parliament at the main gate and eastern gates opposite the National Theater are being screened thoroughly before they are allowed in.
Deployment is also around the Nile Avenue roundabout, the National Theatre and the main gate of Parliament.
Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi addressed
the media on Tuesday at Parliament, highlighting heightened security around the
parliamentary premises and anticipating additional deployments.
The joint Opposition caucus reiterated its
commitment to protecting the economic interests of Ugandans. “We are here
because the people elected us, not by invitation,” Ssenyonyi declared.
“Intimidation and threats of arrest have no impact; we have faced such tactics
before and remain steadfast.”
Ssenyonyi criticized what he described as undue
Executive influence over parliamentary independence, arguing that President
Museveni expects Parliament to align with Cabinet directives. He further
condemned attempts to frame the merger debate as a regional issue, emphasizing
that coffee production supports livelihoods across Uganda, not just Buganda.
The Opposition also challenged the government’s
rationale for the UCDA merger, alleging hypocrisy in its approach to public
spending. Ssenyonyi questioned how the administration could justify creating
new districts, expanding Cabinet, and appointing numerous Presidential advisors
while claiming the merger would save costs.
Defending UCDA’s strategic importance, Ssenyonyi
argued that the agency is essential for Uganda’s thriving coffee sector, which
has seen substantial growth in recent years, urging the ruling National
Resistance Movement (NRM) MPs to prioritize constituents’ interests over
Cabinet directives.
//Cue in: “This is not and…
Cue out: …in this country.”//
The National Coffee (Amendment) Bill was
initially presented to Parliament on September 24, 2024, and referred to the
Committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries for review. It passed
its second reading on October 24, 2024, amid heated debate.
During that session, Speaker Anita Among called
for a headcount vote after MPs contested the initial voice vote. With 159 MPs
in favour and 77 opposed, the Speaker declared, “The ayes have it,” and
adjourned the House sine die.
The government defends the merger as part of its
Rationalization of Public Expenditure (RAPEX) initiative, aimed at reducing
government spending and easing the financial burden on public resources.
UCDA was established in 1991 under the Uganda
Coffee Development Authority Act to oversee the coffee value chain, promote
coffee quality, support research, and maximize earnings for sector
stakeholders. The agency continues to manage Uganda’s coffee sector under the
National Coffee Act No. 17 of 2021.
Ochola's journalism career begun from Radio King 90.2 FM in Gulu around 2009, and Radio Rupiny 95.7 Fm under Vision Group in 2012. He also reported for Mighty Fire 91.5 Fm, Kitgum in 2015 before joining Wizarts Foundation in 2017.
He has been reporting for Uganda Radio Network (URN) since 2017 before being posted as Bureau Chief Kitgum, and later Gulu between 2018 - 2021. Currently, he reports from Parliament.
