Buganda Kingdom to establish Mwanyi Terimba coffee company to maximize value chain potential

UGANDA – Buganda Kingdom, the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, has allocated land for the construction of its new coffee company, Mwanyi Terimba Limited.

The coffee company will consist of a fully-fledged processing plant for green coffee and roasting facility to fully exploit the entire value chain.

“The Kingdom has acquired land donated by the Mwanyi Terimba Limited organization in Nakisunga, Mukono district, where a coffee processing and roasting plant will be built to enhance the quality of coffee,” said the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer of Buganda, Owek. Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa.

Nsibirwa stated that the Kabaka’s Government is encouraging everyone to increase coffee farming, and “there are initiatives to strengthen the Kingdom’s agriculture organization, BUCADEF”

Coffee is Uganda’s top agricultural export, and the central region, where Buganda is located, is one of the highest producers in the country. Buganda’s climate and fertile soils make it ideal for both Robusta and Arabica coffee varieties, though Robusta is more prevalent

Uganda produces about 6-7 million 60-kg bags of coffee annually, of which Buganda’s central region contributes significantly, with over 25% of the country’s total coffee output.

Uganda’s coffee industry has achieved global recognition with an outstanding performance at the 10th International Competition for “Originally Roasted Coffees,” hosted by the Agency for the Valorisation of Agricultural Products (AVPA) in Paris.

The AVPA, a non-governmental, non-profit organization, celebrates agricultural excellence by recognizing quality and distinctiveness in coffee and other agricultural products.

This year’s honors for Uganda underscore the country’s ascent as a competitive force in the global coffee landscape.

Backed by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), Team Uganda winning three gold, one silver, three bronze, and eight gourmet medals, underscoring the nation’s commitment to premium-quality coffee production.

Among the standout brands were Rubanga Coffee, Gorilla Highlands Coffee, Volcafe Uganda, Sasa Coffee, and Great Lakes Coffee House Blend, each distinguishing themselves among competitors from around the globe.

Sam Mugabi, chairperson of the Ankole Coffee Farmers Union, hailed the recent awards as a “big milestone for Ugandan coffee.”

He noted that, historically, Uganda struggled with quality perception but has made strides, largely due to UCDA’s regulatory efforts to uphold quality and integrity standards across the supply chain.

“If this position can be attained globally, it means we are moving forward,” said Mugabi, attributing the improvement to UCDA’s efforts.

It should be remembered that Uganda approved the mainstreaming and rationalization of the functions of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), transferring them to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Uganda’s State Minister for Agriculture Bright Rwamirama recently told parliament that the winding up of UCDA would be gradually done across three years to avoid disrupting the sector. 

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