Museveni Pledges Coffee Processing Plant for Ibanda Farmers

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the party’s flag-bearer for the 2026 elections, has pledged to support coffee farmers in Ibanda District by establishing a coffee processing facility aimed at boosting productivity, improving quality, and raising household incomes through value addition.

The President committed on Saturday, 29th November 2025, while addressing thousands of supporters during a campaign rally at St Georges Ibanda Demonstration Primary School playground in Kagongo Division, Ibanda District, as he intensified his campaign trail across the Ankole sub-region.

_{^{President Museveni, who is also the NRM presidential candidate, waves to his supporters as he arrives at Ibanda Demonstration School play grounds in Ibanda district to address his campaign rally on Saturday.}}

Ibanda, one of Uganda’s major coffee-producing districts, grows both Arabica and Robusta varieties, with Arabica thriving particularly well in areas within the high-altitude ranges of the Rwenzori Mountain ecosystem. Coffee farming remains a backbone economic activity for households in the district, making the President’s pledge a significant development prospect for the region.

“You, the people of Ibanda, already know what to do. Therefore, I will help you establish a coffee processing facility that you have proposed here to add value to your coffee,” President Museveni told the cheering crowd.

He added that the government would continue supporting farmers under the Parish Development Model (PDM), including providing free coffee seedlings from both government nursery beds and his personal nurseries in Kisozi.

“We shall continue with the PDM money and also give you free coffee seedlings from the government nursery beds that we shall establish,” he said. “PDM will continue, where people invest in whatever they want, poultry, pigs, goats, and others.”

The NRM Chairperson for Ibanda District, Hon. Jovrine Kaliisa Kyomukama, highlighted the district’s impressive coffee footprint. She noted that Ibanda has 28,062 acres under coffee cultivation, producing an estimated 14,381 tons annually and earning up to Shs 178 billion in revenue.

Despite these gains, Hon. Kyomukama said farmers still face challenges, particularly the shortage of modern coffee dryers, hullers, and processing equipment at parish level, which limits value addition.

“The coffee you gave us through PDM has done wonders, leading to improved coffee production at household level,” she said. “But we need dryers per parish and coffee hullers.”

_{^{President Museveni shares a light moment with Jovrine Kaliisa the NRM Chairperson for Ibanda District, and businessman Dr Patrick Bitature}}

Residents at the rally also shared testimonies reflecting the district’s growing prosperity from commercial agriculture.
Mr. Mutabaazi Wilbroad, a coffee farmer from Nyabuhikye Sub-county, revealed that 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 said.

President Museveni praised such success stories, noting that coffee has transformed the livelihoods of many households across Uganda. He said the country now earns US$2 billion annually from coffee exports, making it one of Uganda’s largest sources of foreign exchange.

“Coffee has created wealth for households and for the country as well,” he emphasized.

According to statistics presented at the rally, Ibanda District has shown strong progress in PDM implementation.

_{^{President Museveni accompanied by his daughter Patience, Speaker of Parliament Among and her deputy Tayebwa pose for a photo with Ibanda district NRM flagbearers during a rally in Ibanda on Saturday.}}

Ibanda District (40 PDM SACCOs) received Shs 14.39 billion, of which Shs 12.39 billion (86.07%) was disbursed to 12,391 households. Ibanda Municipality (21 PDM SACCOs) received Shs 7.50 billion, of which Shs 6.45 billion (85.96%) was disbursed to 6,454 households, bringing the total to Shs 21.9 billion.

President Museveni encouraged parish and sub-county leaders to ensure the remaining households also benefit. He cautioned the public against confusing development with personal wealth creation.

“Development is for all of us, schools, roads, hospitals. But wealth and poverty are personal. We need households to embrace wealth creation,” he said, revisiting the 4-acre model introduced in the 1996 manifesto.

Under the model, farmers allocate one acre to coffee, one to fruits, one to food crops, and one to zero-grazing livestock, while using backyards for poultry, piggery, or fish farming.

The President also highlighted the seven key contributions of the NRM as outlined in the 2026–2031 manifesto. He reminded voters of the importance of peace in the region, noting that threats from armed groups previously operating in the Kamwenge forests had been neutralized.

^{_{President Museveni addressing his supporters during his campaign rally at Ibanda Demonstration School playgrounds in Ibanda district on Saturday.}}

“You, the people of Ibanda, know what peace means,” he said. “Those who wanted to disrupt this peace were dealt with.”

On development, the President emphasised ongoing and upcoming infrastructure projects, including major road works across the region. He assured residents that the Mbarara–Ibanda road would be repaired afresh, while routes such as Ibanda–Kagongo–Kabujogera–Kamwenge, and Nyamarebe–Kyegegwa would also be fully rehabilitated.

He further promised to consider establishing a ferry on Lake George to boost trade between Ibanda, Rubirizi, and Kasese districts.
Hon. Kyomukama noted that the absence of a reliable transport system across the lake currently forces residents to rely on risky alternatives, especially when transporting livestock to markets.

On social infrastructure, the President acknowledged that Ibanda performs well in terms of access to government schools and health facilities, but urged residents to prioritize wealth creation alongside development, noting that wealth is what creates jobs.

He pointed to the growing number of industrial parks, such as Sino-Mbale Industrial Park with 75 factories and Namanve Industrial Park with over 270 factories, as evidence of the NRM’s commitment to job creation.

“These employ far more Ugandans than government institutions, which have only 480,000 jobs for a population nearing 50 million,” he said.

To illustrate opportunities in commercial agriculture, President Museveni cited success stories such as Johnson Basangwa, a poultry farmer in Kamuli who produces 200 trays of eggs daily and earns Shs 20 million per day, employing 300 workers.

Another was Mr. George Matongo, a dairy farmer from Ngoma, Nakaseke, who produces over 900 litres of milk daily, earning about Shs 21 million per month, despite living far from tarmac roads and electricity.

^{_{NRM supporters in Ibanda district express their excitement as they welcome President Museveni for a campaign rally}}

Ibanda has historically been an NRM stronghold. In the 2021 Presidential Elections, out of 140,486 registered voters, 90,801 (64.6%) turned up, with President Museveni winning 77,521 votes (87.3%).

For the 2026 elections, Ibanda has 153,810 registered voters, an increase of 13,324. Polling stations have grown from 280 in 2021 to 410.

Saturday’s rally attracted prominent NRM leaders, including the Speaker of Parliament and the party’s Second National Vice Chairperson, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among; NRM Vice Chairperson for Western Uganda, Eng. Asiimwe Jonard; district leaders; and other senior party officials.