OSCAR MUTEBI: VP Ssekandi’s Grandson Extends Coffee Seedlings to Farmers Across Greater Masaka

Coffee farming remains one of Uganda’s strongest pillars of household income and agricultural development, supporting thousands of families across both rural and urban communities. In Greater Masaka, this reality is becoming more visible through a coffee seedlings distribution campaign led by Mr. Oscar Mutebi, the grandson of former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi.

What began as a small personal initiative has grown into a major community empowerment program targeting farmers across Kyanamukaka Town Council, Masaka City, Kyesiiga Village, Lyantonde, Kalungu, Kyotera, Mpigi, and surrounding districts.

Through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries and with support from President Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s government, Mutebi has been at the center of distributing coffee seedlings to farmers to improve agricultural productivity and household incomes.

Many residents say the initiative has brought fresh hope to communities that have long depended on subsistence farming.

According to Ms. Zainab Nakidde, Mayor of Kyanamukaka Town Council, the coffee seedlings have given local farmers a strong reason to smile.

“Through the office of former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi and the support of Mr. Oscar Mutebi, we have received coffee seedlings that will improve our livelihoods. This is a great opportunity for our people,” Nakidde said.

Approximately 10 million coffee seedlings have reportedly been availed by the government for phased distribution across the Greater Masaka region, with Mutebi playing a key role in ensuring the seedlings reach the intended beneficiaries.

However, Mutebi says farmers also need more than seedlings to succeed. He has appealed to the government to provide agro-inputs such as pesticides and spraying drugs to protect the crops from diseases.

“I want to thank President Museveni for giving us coffee seedlings. I also appeal to the Ministry of Agriculture to support farmers with spraying drugs so that the coffee plants do not get destroyed after planting,” Mutebi said.

Beyond agriculture, Mutebi has become widely known in rural Masaka for his direct involvement in youth empowerment and community development. His efforts have earned him the nickname “Owebyenkulakulana,” loosely translated as “the development activist.”

He has supported schools and local sports by donating jerseys, footballs, trophies, scholastic materials, and flat-screen televisions to institutions such as St. Mugaga Secondary School.

Mutebi is also the founder of the popular Oscar Cup, a football tournament in Kyanamukaka Town Council that has become an important platform for youth talent development.

During the April 5, 2026 finals held at Kamunzinda Village, thousands of residents attended as local teams competed for medals, trophies, and cash prizes.

“I believe in giving back to my home area. I value both coffee farming and sports because they directly improve people’s lives,” Mutebi said during the tournament.

Local leaders praised his efforts, saying his initiatives are helping restore confidence among young people and encouraging them to participate in productive community activities.

Mutebi and former Vice President Ssekandi are also advocating for the establishment of a vocational institute in rural Masaka to tackle youth unemployment and skills shortages.

They argue that many young people in the area are unable to continue formal education and end up trapped in casual labor without practical skills for better-paying jobs.

Ssekandi says a vocational institute would transform the region by equipping youth with technical skills in mechanics, construction, agriculture, and industrial work.

“We need urgent government intervention. A vocational institute would change the future of our young people and strengthen the Greater Masaka Development Initiative,” Ssekandi said.

He added that the area already has gazetted land in Kyambazi suitable for such development projects and called on the government and the First Lady, Janet Kataha Museveni, to prioritize the initiative.

Mutebi says his leadership journey has been shaped by mentorship from Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, President Museveni, Gen. Salim Saleh, and First Lady Janet Museveni.

He believes true leadership is measured by service delivery and improving people’s lives.

For many farmers in Greater Masaka, the coffee seedlings are more than plants—they represent hope, income, and a better future.

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