Members of Parliament on the budget committee have rejected the allocation of Shs37 billion to State House for coffee value chain development, questioning the capacity and expertise of the State House to dive into coffee value addition and coffee trade.
The committee wants the money to be reallocated to Uganda Coffee Development Authority which is mandated by law to develop coffee.
While scrutinizing the presidential affairs committee report on the ministerial policy statements of the State House and the Office of the President, committee members were surprised to find Shs37 billion allocated to State House under science, technology, and innovation for coffee value chain development.
MPs including Shema municipality’s Dickson Kateshumbwa protested the allocation, questioning the capacity and expertise of the State House to dive into coffee value addition and coffee trade.
Amolator district woman MP, Agnes Apea wondered how funds to develop coffee can go to the State House while the Uganda coffee development Authority is starving financially with a constrained development expenditure budget.
The vice chairperson, Ignatius Mudiimi Wamakuyu, who chaired the session, revealed that the money is not going to coffee value chain development as alleged but to the consortium of coffee exporters who courted President Museveni for financial support to supply roasted coffee to the European market and other markets.
