Farmers in Rukiga and across Greater Kigezi have been urged to embrace coffee farming as a strategic route to long-term economic empowerment and poverty reduction.
Speaking during a community rally at Kantare playground in Rutengye parish, Kashambya sub-county in Rukiga district, Dr Sylvia Alineitwe encouraged residents to shift from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, with coffee taking centre stage.
Alineitwe is aspiring to become Rukiga’s woman MP. Despite Kigezi’s fertile soils and hardworking population, she said challenges such as land scarcity, land fragmentation and over-dependence on subsistence farming continued to hinder progress.
Citing data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Alineitwe said the poverty levels in the region currently stand at about 27%.
“To break this cycle of poverty, we must rethink how we use our land,” she said.
“Coffee offers a sustainable solution because it can thrive on small plots, provides long-term income, and connects farmers directly to international markets.”
Achievements
Through her Kigezi Farmers Transformation Initiative (KFTIS), founded in 2019, Alineitwe has overseen the distribution of five million coffee seedlings to farmers in Rukiga district.
This initiative was carried out in partnership with the agriculture ministry, the former Uganda Coffee Development Authority and Operation Wealth Creation.
The project took off in 2023 with the establishment of a nursery in Kibanda, Kamwezi sub-county, producing three million seedlings.
A second nursery was opened last year in Kantare, Kashambya sub-county, producing two million more.
To promote value addition, Alineitwe also facilitated the establishment of a coffee processing and export factory in Nyabunyungu, Kibanda, early this year.
The facility aims to buy, process, and export coffee grown locally, enabling farmers to access more lucrative markets. KFTIS has also extended support beyond coffee.
The initiative has distributed hoes and pangas to over 40,000 rural households, constructed 60 boreholes, and facilitated the opening of a National Water and Sewerage Corporation office in Rukiga.
Commitment lauded
Frank Kyerere, the National Resistance Movement district chairperson, praised Alineitwe’s commitment.
“She has shown commitment to empowering farmers and improving livelihoods,” he said.
“As a party leader, I work with whoever the people choose, but credit must be given where it is due.”
Jane Tumwebaze, a mother of five from Kamwezi, is one of the project’s beneficiaries.
“I planted 200 seedlings last year, and now they are flowering,” she said.
“This is the first time I feel I’m part of a bigger dream beyond just feeding my family.”
Several legislators joined Alineitwe at the rally, including Herbert Ariko (Soroti City East), Emmanuel Omoding (Serere County), Gyaviira Ssemwanga (Buyamba County), Muhammad Ssentayi (Bukoto West), and Basil Bataringaya (Kashari North).
Ariko, who chairs the natural resources committee in Parliament, said the initiative aligns well with Uganda’s broader push for agricultural commercialisation.
“This is not just politics; this is nation-building from the grassroots,” he noted.
Also present were Grace Ankunda (aspiring Kabale District Woman MP), Patrick Kiconco Katabazi and Alex Magezi Kanuga, both eyeing parliamentary seats in Rukiga.
Alineitwe is preparing to challenge the incumbent, Caroline Kamusiime, who became Rukiga’s pioneer woman MP when the district was created in July 2017.
