Kadaga rallies Busoga sugarcane outgrower farmers to support Museveni

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As the January 15, 2026, general election draws closer, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, has rallied Busoga sugarcane outgrower farmers to vote for President Yoweri Museveni and National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearers across the sub-region.

Kadaga made the appeal while meeting delegates of the Busoga Sugarcane Outgrowers Association at Kakira Community Hall in Jinja district on January 3, 2026. She told the farmers that supporting President Museveni would help safeguard gains already made in the sugar industry.

“I request you to please vote for President Yoweri Museveni—I want the President to score 90% in Busoga in this 2026 general election,” Kadaga said.

Before Kadaga’s address, leaders of the Busoga Sugarcane Outgrowers Association, led by chairperson David Christopher Mombwe, presented challenges facing the region’s approximately 13,000 sugarcane farmers during a meeting held in Kakira town council.

Representing about 13,000 farmers, the delegates said they had gathered not only to discuss their concerns but to seek urgent intervention for an industry they believe is under serious strain.

Mombwe delivered a detailed account of the difficulties affecting sugarcane production in Busoga, pointing to what he described as systemic imbalances that have left farmers struggling despite their labour.

The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga (middle in green gomesi), in a group photo with delegates of Sugarcane outgrower farmers after their meeting at Kakira Community Hall in Jinja district on Saturday.

"We are farmers, not factory owners," Mombwe said, calling for the sector to be moved from the Ministry of Trade to the Ministry of Agriculture.

He argued that current policies treat sugarcane as a finished product rather than an agricultural crop.

The outgrowers also raised concerns over the 8.5 percent recovery rate used to determine cane value, calling for an independent research committee to establish a fairer and higher rate.

Through their leadership, the farmers further appealed for the removal of the 18 percent value added tax on sugarcane, saying it suppresses farm-gate prices and reduces their earnings. They also demanded standardised pricing across all buying centres, whether at factory gates or distant weighbridges.

The farmers additionally appealed for government support in establishing a fertiliser plant in Busoga to reduce production costs.

To improve access to affordable financing, the outgrowers revealed that they are in the process of setting up a dedicated outgrowers savings and credit cooperative organisation.

In response, Kadaga expressed optimism about the recently established National Sugar Council, which she said would serve as the main platform for addressing farmers’ grievances.

As the meeting concluded, Kadaga urged the farmers to recognise the role of peace and a stable investment climate in sustaining the sugar industry. She encouraged them to participate actively in the electoral process.

Kadaga, who also serves as chief mobiliser for President Museveni in Busoga, called on the delegates to mobilise their communities in support of President Museveni and NRM candidates ahead of the January 15, 2026, polls.