The new Board of Directors of Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) has reappointed Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye Niyibigira as the Authority’s Managing Director, Business Focus exclusively reveals.
Iyamulemye first became UCDA Managing Director in October 2016. He stepped aside after his five-year term expired in October 2021.
Sources say that Iyamulemye’s performance over the last five years has been impressive and therefore his contract renewal was “a question of when and not if.”
“His (Iyamulemye) contract would have been renewed before it expired but there was no board in place to renew it,” a source said, adding: “He has been key in implementing the 15-year Uganda Coffee Roadmap that aims to increase coffee production to 20 million 60kg bags by 2025.”
It should be noted that on October 28, 2021, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, inaugurated the new UCDA Board of Directors in accordance with the National Coffee Act, 2021 that was assented to by the President on August 31, 2021.
The UCDA Board is chaired by Charles Francis Mugoya. Board members include Michael Nuwagaba (coffee processors representative), John Nuwagaba (coffee farmers representative), Martha Nalubega Wandera (coffee roasters representative), Connie Masaba Magomu (MAAIF representative), Fred Luzinda-Mukasa (coffee exporters representative), Dr Sadik Kasiim (NARO representative), Maris Wanyera (Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development representative), and Richard Okot Okello (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives representative).
According to the Coffee Act, the UCDA Managing Director shall be appointed by the Board and shall hold office for five years.
“The Managing Director is responsible for the day to day operations and administration of the Authority,” the Act reads, adding: “ The Managing Director shall be the chief executive and accounting officer of the Authority.”
The Act adds that UCDA Managing Director shall also be responsible for the implementation of the policies and programmes of the Authority and reporting on them to the Board.
He is also responsible for the management of funds and property of the Authority, among other many functions.
Business Focus can authoritatively report that the new UCDA Board unanimously agreed to reappoint Iyamulemye after reviewing his performance over the last five years. He is expected to report back to office this week, a source said.
Sources say that the Board is impressed with the increasing coffee production Uganda has registered in recent years as well as improvement in the quality of coffee produced.
Uganda’s coffee exports for the 12 months (September 2020-August 2021) amounted to 6,414,696 60-kilo bags worth US$ 607.81 million compared to 5,216,608-kilo bags valued at US$ 502.24 million the previous year (September 2019-August 2020). This represents a 22.97% and 21.02% increase in both quantity and value respectively.
The total export quantity in 12 months was the highest in 30 years.
Under Iyamulemye’s leadership, UCDA has seen the National Coffee Act, 2021 come to life. The National Coffee Act, if successfully implemented, will be a game-changer for Uganda’s coffee sub-sector, according to analysts.
The Act repealed the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) Act, Cap. 325, which was enacted in 1991 and only covered off-farm activities of marketing and processing, leaving on-farm activities like planting materials, nurseries, harvesting and post-harvesting handling outside the scope of the law.
This Act gives UCDA powers to regulate all on-farm and off-farm activities in the coffee value chain.
“Uganda coffee is increasingly attracting the attention of local and international media unlike before. This isn’t by chance but by the efforts of UCDA and other players along the coffee value chain,” a source said.
About Iyamulemye
Emmanuel Iyamulemye Niyibigira is an agricultural scientist (PhD, MBA), with over 15 years of experience in agriculture-related programme design and delivery.
His core competencies are in strategic planning, and programme management, reviews and evaluations; his technical background and competencies are agriculture, agribusiness, rural development, crop protection, import and export risk analysis, sanitary and phytosanitary issues.
Prior to joining UCDA, he was the National Programme Coordinator for the EU funded Northern Uganda Agriculture Livelihoods Recovery Programme (ALREP) and the Karamoja Livelihoods Programme (KALIP), in the Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda. He was also Programme Manager, FAO – October 2008 to July 2010.
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Agricultural Sciences from Wageningen University and a Master’s degree, Crop Science from the same University.
He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Uganda Martyrs University
