The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi has requested authorities to cease any additional allocation of funds to Inspire Africa Coffee, a personal entity financed by authorities to ascertain a espresso manufacturing unit as a tertiary hub for final mile espresso worth addition in Ntungamo District.
Ssenyonyi mentioned the financing needs to be halted till authorities comes out clearly on the phrases of the partnership, which he mentioned couldn’t be established when he visited the manufacturing unit on 24 December 2025 with different MPs on the Shadow Cabinet.
“We discovered that there isn’t a Memorandum of Understanding between Government of Uganda and this entity. So the way through which cash was prolonged to the entity shouldn’t be clear. It is flawed for tax payers’ cash to be spent with none clearly outlined binding relationship and no documentation by any means,” mentioned Ssenyonyi.
He defined that though the proprietor, Nelson Tugume tried to elucidate a co-investment association between the events, there was no readability on whether or not this could consequence right into a joint shareholding, a grant association or a bail out.
The LoP mentioned this as he offered a report of his oversight go to to the manufacturing unit at a sitting of the House chaired by the Speaker Anita Among on Tuesday, 11 February 2025.
Ssenyonyi added that there are doubts on the worth for cash invested within the manufacturing unit, cognizant that Tugume couldn’t set up the quantity authorities has up to now injected.
“Government ought to clarify how a lot cash has up to now been injected into this venture. The price profit evaluation of investing on this entity needs to be examined,” he mentioned.
He expressed concern that so long as utilization of tax payers’ cash is shrouded in thriller, there’ll at all times be suspicion about such bailouts on condition that they’re accessed by just a few individuals.
Ssenyonyi referred to as for development of the same manufacturing unit in Bugisu and central area as a part of authorities dedication within the National Development Plan III saying that will probably be troublesome for farmers to move espresso from far-flung districts throughout the nation to Ntungamo for processing.
The Opposition chief requested authorities to return out with a transparent process on how non-public entities can get authorities help.
“Uganda has loads of younger and progressive entrepreneurs who solely lack funding. If the federal government comes out clearly on the formalities, then extra Ugandans may benefit versus only a few,” he added.
During the 2023-2024 monetary 12 months, authorities undertook to ascertain ‘a Tertiary Hub for final mile Coffee Value Addition” in Ntungamo District, by way of the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretariat within the Office of the President, beneath a personal partnership association with the Coffee Investment Consortium Uganda (CICU) and Inspire Africa Coffee.
According to Tugume the manufacturing unit is anticipated to provide varied espresso merchandise together with; Instant Coffee, Drip Coffee, Malt Coffee, Coffee power drinks in addition to magnificence Cosmetics.
Uganda is at present the main espresso exporter in Africa, and the second
largest espresso producer in Africa having exported 6.13 million luggage in Financial Year 2023/2024 valued at US$1.14 Billion.
