Museveni Bows to Pressure, Agrees to Make Changes in Controversial Coffee Deal

By the end of a parliamentary caucus meeting at Kololo Independence Grounds on April 26, President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni had endured a lot of criticism against a coffee deal with Uganda Vinci Coffee Company Limited (UVCC), a company owned by Italian investor Enrica Pinetti. 

The president met resistance and endured hours of heckling from members of his own National Resistance Movement (NRM).

The NRM MPs made it clear to Museveni that they were ready to be expelled from the ruling party to join the opposition but would not accept the deal given to Pinetti.

The legislators seemed to argue that the deal would put them in bad books with their voters and make reelection difficult since most of their voters, particularly those in coffee-growing areas, seemed opposed to the deal.

In the end, Museveni and the MPs agreed to have the deal between Pinetti’s Vinci and government reviewed.

Debate on the coffee deal has steadily gained public attention, with MPs in the trade committee currently questioning relevant stakeholders.

It has emerged that investor Pinetti signed the deal as a witness. (Read Story Here).

The investor and her company are also said to have been allowed by government to mortgage the land they were freely given in Namanve to secure a loan. (Read Story Here).