TWISTED: Breach Of New Coffee Law Cited As UCDA ‘Boss’ Seeks Nomination For Board Members

UCDA is embroiled in a saga that seems to be unending having started with the withdrawal of Uganda’s membership from the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) last week by the former Managing Director UCDA Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye

Soon after, another issue arose where the Attorney General rejected the move by the UCDA Docket Minister to have the expired contract of the MD renewed.

For today we are closing analyzing the new National Coffee Act 2021 that repealed the Cap 325.

Section 14 of the National Coffee Act notes that the Authority shall have a board of Directors that shall be the governing body of the Authority.

The Board shall consist of a Chairperson, a representative from the Ministry responsible for Finance, one from the Ministry responsible for Agriculture

Other members shall come from the Coffee farmers, Coffee Processors, Coffee Exporters, a representative from the Coffee roasters, a member from the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) as well as the Managing Director who shall serve as an ex-officio member.

The new law also states that at least one- third of the members of the Board shall be women who shall be a representative from the value chain provided under subsection (2), (e), (f), (g) or (h)

Clause 5 indicates that the Minister shall In appointing members of the Board invite nominations from the respective institutions or organisations from whom the appointments shall be made.

This is the clause that has drawn our attention given the fact the former Managing Director has written to some member representative seeking for nominations into the board. As per the new Law, this power is vested in the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, and not the Managing Director.

The new Act also makes it very clear that any member of parliament, Minister or member of a local government council shall not be represented in the UCDA Board.

Similarly, any person who has been convicted of an offence and sentenced to imprisonment for six months or more without option of a fine by a competent court in Uganda or elsewhere shall be disqualified from being a Board  member.

Those charged in courts of law for being dishonest or declared insolvent shall not qualify to be representatives on the board.’