President Yoweri Museveni, the NRM presidential candidate, has pledged to establish a coffee processing facility in Ibanda District as part of efforts to strengthen value addition, increase productivity, and raise household incomes for coffee farmers.
The President made the commitment on Saturday while addressing thousands of supporters at Kagongo Demonstration School playground during his campaign rally in Ibanda, one of the key stops on his tour of the Ankole sub-region.
Ibanda is among Uganda’s major coffee-producing districts, cultivating both Arabica and Robusta varieties. Arabica thrives especially well in the high-altitude ranges of the Rwenzori Mountain ecosystem, making the district a strategic contributor to Uganda’s coffee economy.
Coffee remains a major source of livelihood for many households, and Museveni said the new processing plant would help farmers earn more by selling value-added products rather than raw beans.
“You, the people of Ibanda, already know what to do. Therefore, I will help you establish a coffee processing facility to add value to your coffee,” Museveni told the cheering crowd.
He added that the government would continue supporting farmers under the Parish Development Model (PDM), providing free coffee seedlings from government nursery beds and from his personal nurseries in Kisozi.
“PDM will continue where people invest in whatever they want—poultry, pigs, goats, and others,” he said.
District Leaders Highlight Opportunities and Challenges
Jovrine Kaliisa Kyomukama, the NRM Chairperson for Ibanda District, said the district has 28,062 acres of coffee under cultivation, producing over 14,381 tons annually and earning farmers up to Shs 178 billion.
Despite this progress, she noted persistent gaps, including shortages of parish-level coffee dryers, hullers, and modern processing equipment.
“The coffee you gave us through PDM has done wonders,” she said. “But we need dryers per parish and coffee hullers.”
Farmers Share Success Stories
Several farmers testified to the growing prosperity brought by commercial agriculture.
Mr. Mutabaazi Wilbroad from Nyabuhikye Sub-county revealed he earns more than Shs 40 million per season from his 8-acre coffee farm.
“From one acre, I get about Shs 8 million per season, meaning Shs 16 million per year,” he explained.
Museveni applauded such achievements, noting that Uganda now earns US$2 billion annually from coffee exports—one of the country’s top foreign exchange sources.
“Coffee has created wealth for households and for the country as well,” he said.
PDM Progress in Ibanda
According to official figures shared at the rally:
Ibanda District’s 40 PDM SACCOs received Shs 14.39 billion, with Shs 12.39 billion (86.07%) disbursed to 12,391 households.
Ibanda Municipality’s 21 PDM SACCOs received Shs 7.50 billion, with Shs 6.45 billion (85.96%) disbursed to 6,454 households.
In total, the district and municipality have received Shs 21.9 billion under PDM.
Museveni urged local leaders to ensure the remaining households also benefit, emphasizing that development and wealth creation must be understood separately.
“Development is for all of us—schools, roads, hospitals. But wealth and poverty are personal,” he said, reiterating the 4-acre model that guides farmers to allocate land to coffee, fruits, food crops, and zero-grazing livestock.
Peace, Infrastructure and Regional Development
The President highlighted the NRM’s achievements in peace and security, saying threats from armed groups previously operating in the Kamwenge forests had been neutralized.
On infrastructure, he assured residents that the Mbarara–Ibanda road would be reconstructed, while other key routes—including Ishaka–Bushenyi, Ibanda–Kagongo–Kabujogera–Kamwenge, and Nyamarebe–Kyegegwa—would also be rehabilitated.
He added that the government would consider a ferry on Lake George to improve trade between Rubanda, Rubirizi, and Kasese districts, easing the dangerous transport challenges currently faced by traders and livestock farmers.
Industrialization and Job Creation
Museveni pointed to fast-growing industrial parks such as Sino-Mbale (75 factories) and Namanve (over 270 factories), saying the private sector now employs far more people than government institutions, which have only 480,000 jobs for a population approaching 50 million.
To emphasize opportunities in agriculture, he cited examples like:
Johnson Basangwa of Kamuli, who produces 200 trays of eggs daily and earns Shs 20 million per day while employing 300 workers.
George Matongo of Ngoma, Nakaseke, who produces over 900 litres of milk per day, earning Shs 21 million monthly despite limited access to electricity or tarmac roads.
Ibanda’s Political Landscape Ahead of 2026
Ibanda has long been an NRM stronghold. In the 2021 presidential election, President Museveni won 87.3% of the 90,801 votes cast.
For the 2026 elections, the district now has 153,810 registered voters, up from 140,486 in 2021, and the number of polling stations has increased from 280 to 410.
