Agric PS Kasura shuns foreign coffee, urges parliament to back Ugandan brands

Steering a country’s flagship agriculture project often requires bold decisions—and for the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) Permanent Secretary, Maj. Gen. David Kasura, that means giving up foreign coffee brands in favor of locally produced brews.

However, despite this patriotic commitment, Kasura was dismayed during his appearance before Parliament on Friday, May 9, 2025, when he discovered that foreign coffee brands still dominate consumption within the House.

As he reached for breakfast, Kasura noted with disappointment that Parliament—an institution central to recent reforms in the coffee sector, including the mainstreaming of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and the appropriation of funds across the coffee value chain—was still serving Nescafé.

Visibly irked, Kasura pledged to donate Ugandan ready-to-drink coffee to Parliament, chaired by Speaker Anita Annet Among.

“I noticed that despite our concern for Uganda’s coffee, you're still drinking Nescafé in Parliament,” he said. “I’ve decided to take a little money from my salary to buy a box of Ugandan coffee for Parliament. When I return, I don’t want to see that foreign coffee—I’ve refused to drink it anywhere I go.”

“I want you to taste our coffee and appreciate the work our farmers and processors are doing,” he added.

To maintain ethical standards regarding gifts from government officials or witnesses, Public Accounts Committee (Central) chairperson Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi promptly intervened, advising Kasura to follow official protocol.

“Please pass on your regards to the Speaker,” Kivumbi said. “This gift of coffee should be directed through the Clerk to Parliament. The Speaker will decide how it is distributed. It should be an in-kind donation, not monetary. The Clerk will ensure it ends up in our canteen. A regular supply of Ugandan coffee would be highly appreciated.”

In response, Kasura affirmed the ministry’s commitment through Dr. Kyalo, the commissioner for coffee development.

“Within reasonable means—and because this is government money—we shall ensure Parliament receives Ugandan coffee. We want to make sure Nescafé is not being served at our expense,” Kasura said.

In support of the Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU) policy, Kivumbi also committed to advocating for increased use of locally-produced products in the parliamentary canteen.

For context, Nescafé is produced by Nestlé, with manufacturing facilities in Switzerland, India, Australia, Mexico, and elsewhere.

Kasura was appearing before the committee to address issues raised in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending June 30, 2024. He provided updates on two major projects, including one focused on enhancing national food security through increased rice production in Bugiri and Bugweri districts. The initiative, launched in 2022, aims to boost agricultural productivity and create wealth through improved yields.

Kasura isn’t the first official to promote local coffee over foreign brands. During his tenure as chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee in the Tenth Parliament, Nathan Nandala Mafabi was frequently seen with a tin of locally processed Arabica coffee by his side during committee sessions. On occasion, he even sent his personal assistant, Alex, to fetch it.

In October 2024, speaking during an X Space event titled Uganda’s Coffee Story, Mafabi—who also chairs the Bugisu Cooperative Union (BCU)—called on the government to establish coffee value addition facilities across Uganda, similar to one being developed in Ntungamo by Inspire Africa Coffee, led by entrepreneur Tugume.

“We have 120 acres in Kamoto and 3,003 acres in Bulambuli. We could use that land for demonstration farms,” Mafabi said. “Let’s also develop regions like Masaka in Buganda and Zombo or Arua in northern Uganda, so the benefits are spread countrywide.”

“In the Bugisu Cooperative Union, we produce Elgon Pride. Our plant is still too small for soluble coffee production—we make the kind that you just pour into hot water and it settles at the bottom,” he added.

Looking ahead, Mafabi said BCU is open to partnerships or even government loans to expand operations and further promote Uganda’s coffee industry.