The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
The seedlings were officially handed over to the diocese’s Vicar General, Msgr. Francis Xavier Mpanga, who represented Bishop Mukasa at a brief ceremony held at BLI.
Speaking at the handover, BLI Administrator Rev. Fr. Joseph Kakooza Nnyanzi said the pledge was first made during the institute’s Family Day celebrations on July 29, 2024. He said the donation was inspired by Bishop Mukasa’s commitment to promoting coffee farming as a sustainable solution to poverty in the region.
“As an institute deeply rooted in ecological and sustainable agriculture, we produce coffee seedlings and felt compelled to support the bishop’s noble cause,” Fr. Kakooza noted.
In his response, Msgr. Mpanga called on the people of Luwero and surrounding districts to embrace coffee farming, describing it as a potential game-changer for families and the Church.
“The bishop’s dream is to turn the underutilized land in our communities into a source of prosperity. Coffee farming can be a game changer,” he said. Following the ceremony, Msgr. Mpanga distributed seedlings to several individuals and parishes.
Among the recipients were Brother Stephen Kyamanywa (500 seedlings), Fr. Peter Ekunu (1,000), Fr. Matthias Jjooga (1,000), Bro. Peter Bahati (620), and Fr. Jude Masembe (1,000), among others. Fr. Matthias Jjooga, Parish Priest of Nandere, commended the institute’s commitment to agricultural empowerment.
“BLI is a dependable partner. This donation will make a real difference,” he said. Since assuming office on August 5, 2023, as the third bishop of Kasana-Luwero Diocese, Bishop Mukasa has prioritized improving livelihoods through practical solutions such as farming.
During a five-month pastoral tour across Luwero, Nakaseke, and Nakasongola districts, he observed widespread poverty and large tracts of idle land. He attributed the poverty to poor land use and vowed to champion economic self-reliance, particularly through coffee cultivation.
Through Caritas Kasanaensis, the diocese’s development arm, the bishop has so far distributed tens of thousands of coffee seedlings across the region. In August 2024, Uganda Radio Network (URN) reported that during a visit to Uganda Martyrs’ Catholic Parish in Kiwoko, the bishop urged all parishes to use Church land for coffee farming and encouraged Catholic households to do the same to sustain families and support Church activities.
Bishop Mukasa’s efforts align with the Buganda Kingdom’s broader agenda to revive coffee as a major economic activity. Coffee farming in Uganda continues to grow in profitability. Currently, a kilogram of Kiboko earns between UGX 5,500–6,000, Arabica parchment goes for UGX 12,500–13,000, and a kilogram of clean Drugar coffee fetches UGX 11,500–12,000.
According to the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), the country exported 329,686 60-kg bags of coffee in March 2024, generating US$64.74 million. Between April 2023 and March 2024, Uganda exported 5.90 million bags, worth nearly US$994 million, an increase from the 5.76 million bags worth US$850 million the previous year.
****
URN
