Oscar Mutebi Leads Coffee Seedling Revolution in Greater Masaka as Museveni’s Agricultural Vision Deepens Rural Transformation After Swearing-In

Writes Brian Mugenyi
mugenyijj@gmail.com

In the fertile agricultural belt of Greater Masaka, coffee is once again asserting itself as the backbone of rural livelihoods — a crop steadily transforming small gardens into sustainable income sources and subsistence households into emerging commercial farming enterprises.

Across Kyanamukaka Town Council, Kyesiiga Parish, Masaka City, Kalungu, Kyotera and surrounding districts, coffee seedlings are being distributed under a structured national agricultural rollout aligned with the transformation agenda championed by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

At the grassroots level, the programme is being driven through local mobilisation networks associated with former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, alongside State House officials and political coordinators. Among the most visible figures in the coffee seedling distribution drive is Mr. Oscar Mutebi, a private secretary at State House and Special Envoy on Political Affairs, who has emerged as a key coordinator of the initiative in Greater Masaka.

KYESIIGA PARISH AND KYANAMUKAKA: WHERE COFFEE IS BEING REVIVED

In Kyesiiga Parish, farmers led by area chairman Mikidad Lusiiba received thousands of coffee seedlings on May 15, 2026, in what many residents described as a renewed economic lifeline for rural households.

Smiling farmers could be seen lining village roads as sacks of seedlings were offloaded and transported to homes for immediate planting.

Residents say the initiative has renewed optimism among farming communities and strengthened confidence in agriculture as a long-term source of wealth creation.

The programme is also being viewed by many locals as part of Mr. Oscar Mutebi’s growing development-oriented engagement in the area, with some residents already encouraging him to consider contesting for the Bukoto Central parliamentary seat in 2031 due to his continued involvement in community mobilisation and service delivery despite not holding elective office.

“We have received the coffee seedlings for our farmers, and we thank Mr. Oscar Mutebi for fulfilling the promise made to us,” said Mr. Lusiiba.

He described coffee farming as a major opportunity to improve household productivity and urged beneficiaries to plant and maintain the seedlings properly rather than neglecting them.

The same momentum is being witnessed in Kyanamukaka Town Council, where households are steadily expanding coffee gardens in anticipation of improved future earnings.

Farmers led by Zainab Nakidde, the Mayor of Kyanamukaka Town Council and a coffee farmer herself, say the seedlings have arrived at a critical time when global coffee prices are rising, restoring confidence in coffee as a reliable cash crop and long-term investment.

“This coffee is no longer just farming — it is future security planted in the soil,” Nakidde said.

MUSEVENI’S VALUE ADDITION MESSAGE RESHAPING AGRICULTURE

The coffee seedling drive reflects a broader national strategy consistently emphasized by President Museveni under his wealth creation and socio-economic transformation agenda — that Uganda must move beyond raw agricultural production towards value addition, agro-industrialisation and commercial agriculture.

The President’s message, reinforced following his May 12, 2026 swearing-in, continues to shape rural agricultural programmes across the country, particularly through the promotion of the four-acre model and coffee farming as a pathway to household wealth.

In Greater Masaka, farmers and local leaders increasingly see coffee production as a gateway to future processing industries, export value chains and rural industrial growth.

MUTEBI COMMENDS GOVERNMENT FOR COFFEE SUPPORT

Mr. Oscar Mutebi has praised the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries for extending large-scale support to farming communities in the region.

He specifically commended the ministry for facilitating the distribution of approximately 100,000 coffee seedlings across Greater Masaka, describing the intervention as a significant boost to rural agricultural transformation.

“We sincerely thank the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries for supporting our farmers with 100,000 coffee seedlings,” Mutebi said. “This is a major step towards strengthening household incomes and restoring confidence in coffee farming.”

He noted that the seedlings will play a critical role in expanding coffee acreage and improving long-term agricultural productivity among rural households.

COFFEE: THE GREEN GOLD DRIVING RURAL ECONOMIES

Coffee remains one of Uganda’s most valuable agricultural exports, contributing significantly to foreign exchange earnings and supporting millions of livelihoods.

Nationally, coffee:

• Supports more than two million farming households;
• Remains Uganda’s leading agricultural export crop;
• Generates substantial rural employment and household income; and
• Contributes significantly to Uganda’s foreign exchange earnings.

In Greater Masaka, coffee is increasingly regarded as “green gold” — offering farming families a pathway from subsistence agriculture to structured commercial production.

GLOBAL COFFEE PRICES BOOST FARMER CONFIDENCE

The current rise in global coffee prices has further strengthened farmer optimism, making coffee cultivation more attractive and economically viable.

With international demand increasing and supply pressures affecting global markets, Ugandan farmers are expected to benefit from improved pricing conditions once their plantations mature.

Agricultural officers believe that improved seedlings, combined with favourable market trends, could substantially raise rural household incomes in the coming years.

FARMERS EMBRACING LONG-TERM WEALTH CREATION

Across Kyesiiga and Kyanamukaka, many farmers say coffee is no longer viewed merely as a seasonal crop but as a long-term family investment capable of generating generational wealth.

Community leaders say the renewed enthusiasm around coffee farming is helping to shift mindsets from subsistence survival towards commercial agriculture and financial planning.

VALUE ADDITION REMAINS THE NEXT FRONTIER

Despite increased production efforts, stakeholders continue to emphasize that Uganda’s biggest opportunity lies in value addition and processing.

Mutebi and other local leaders argue that establishing coffee processing facilities within rural Masaka would enable farmers to benefit not only from production but also from the broader value chain through roasting, packaging and export processing.

This aligns directly with President Museveni’s long-standing industrialisation agenda and emphasis on agro-processing.

MASAKA DISTRICT PROFILE

Masaka District covers approximately 1,603.3 square kilometres, of which about 801.5 square kilometres consist of open water, wetlands and marshlands. An estimated 308.3 hectares are under cultivation.

The district experiences a tropical climate influenced by relief features and proximity to Lake Victoria. Rainfall is bimodal, with two rainy seasons annually.

Masaka lies approximately 37 kilometres south of the Equator, between latitude 0.25° South and longitude 34° East, at an average altitude of about 1,150 metres above sea level.

The district has an estimated 75,494 households, including 22,520 female-headed households (29.8%) and 52,974 male-headed households (70.2%). Approximately 65% of households depend on subsistence farming.

Masaka District also has:

• 53 registered cooperative organisations;
• 51 financial SACCOs;
• 38 Emyooga SACCOs; and
• An estimated 81% of the population dependent on agriculture for livelihood.

CONCLUSION: A SEEDLING DRIVE WITH NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE

From Kyesiiga Parish to Kyanamukaka and beyond, the ongoing coffee seedling distribution campaign is transforming not only farms but also community expectations and economic aspirations.

With government support through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, and grassroots coordination by figures such as Oscar Mutebi, Greater Masaka is witnessing a renewed agricultural awakening centred on coffee production and rural wealth creation.

As farmers plant today with hopes fixed on tomorrow’s global markets, one message continues to resonate across the region:

“Coffee is no longer just a crop — it is a currency of hope, growth and rural transformation.”

Caption: Oscar Mutebi, widely recognised for supporting community development and agricultural mobilisation efforts in rural Masaka.

The post Oscar Mutebi Leads Coffee Seedling Revolution in Greater Masaka as Museveni’s Agricultural Vision Deepens Rural Transformation After Swearing-In appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.