Shock as AG Blocks Minister’s Move To Renew Contract Of UCDA Boss

All is not well for the Managing Director of Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye Niyibigira.

As of last week, we run an exclusive of how  Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye Niyibigira had withdrawn Uganda’s membership from the International Coffee Organisation (ICO).

According to new information,  we can reliably reveal that after his contract expired and after all his efforts to have his contract renewed hit a wall, Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye did the unthinkable.

He traveled to Dubai to attend the Dubai EXPO despite being warned against traveling by the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries.

According to his  Itinerary, Emmanuel Iyamulemye Niyibigirahe is due to fly back to Uganda this Friday.

The Dubai Expo 2020 is a World Expo currently hosted by Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 1 October 2021 to March 2021 (182 days) and President Museveni is in attendance.

We are still trying to put our heads together and come up with a reasonable explanation as to why a why a Civil Servant whose term has expired, would even go an extra mile to defy a sitting minister, his boss and travel at the taxpayers expense to Dubai.

As we calculate how much taxpayers’ money was put to waste (Remember Uganda is already out of ICO) so our representation or call the UCDA representation in international matters ceased to matter).

 ATTORNEY GENERAL REJECTS CONTRACT EXTENSION

On September 24, 2021, the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries Hon. Frank Tumwebaze wrote a letter (ADM7/166/01) addressed to the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka seeking legal interpretation regarding whether it was fine for him to re-appoint Niyibigira as Managing Director.

In his letter to the AG, Tumwebaze noted that following the enactment of the National Coffee Act 2021, Cabinet was yet to sit to appoint a  Board of Directors for Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA).

Apparently, the minister was informing the AG that the UCDA Managing Director’s contract was expiring on September 30, 2021, and was seeking legal interpretation if he was right to renew the MDs contract.

Attorney General’s response to Tumwebaze’s letter

In his response, quoting Section 22(1) of the National Coffee Act No. 17 of 2021, the Attorney General said:

“There shall be a Managing Director who shall be appointed by the Board on such terms and conditions as the Board may determine.”

The New Coffee Act Section 14 (4) notes that the members of the board shall be appointed by the Minister, except the Managing Director, so in short Hon. Frank Tumwebaze was out of order here as per the letter from the Kiwanuka Kiryowa.

“In view of the above provisions of the law, the appointing authority of the Managing Director is the board and not the minister,” wrote the Attorney General.

THE AG said it would be totally unconstitutional for the minister to exercise the function of the board.

“Accordingly, I advise that a board be appointed to enable it to appoint a Managing Director of Uganda Coffee Development Authority,” advised Kiwanuka Kiryowa.

READ THE LETTER BELOW