Search for BCU boss intensifies

Nakiyi (right) greeting former BCU president Enock Musundi at his home (Musundi) in Magale, Namisindwa district. Nakiyi says he is ready to revive the glory of Bugisu Co-operative Union

HUNT FOR BCU NEW LEADERSHIP

MBALE- One person has come out to express interest in contesting against Nathan Nandala Mafabi for the post of chairperson for Bugisu Co-operative Union (BCU) in the general election due next week.

Mafabi has always been unopposed for the post of BCU chairperson in the last two terms he has been leading the coffee farmers of Bugisu Union.

Julius Nakiyi, born in 1981, a resident of Buwugu sub-county, holds two bachelor degrees in Civil Engineering and Applied accounting from Oxford Brookes on Friday July 2018, made revelation while addressing coffee farmers in Bududa district.

Nakiyi said he has taken the decision to contest against Mafabi because he wants to revive the lost glory of BCU, adding that since Mafabi took over leadership of the union, it has been operating under losses.

"I am not seeking employment, but I want to work as a torch to provide light for the coffee farmers who see BCU as a dead union, " Nakiyi said.

Nakiyi has been working in Rwanda, Tanzinia and Nigeria as a country head of audit and compliance for Ecobank group and is now in Uganda busy lobbying farmers in the nine zones for their support.

"The former management has led to accumulated loss of sh6.7b hence putting all the union's assets at risk," Nakiyi

"Nandala has been using his profession to turn around figures, leaving coffee farmers confused, but let me use his own audit report to show farmers that the union is collapsing and what he has been telling them are lies," Nakiyi said. 

Nakiyi said his coming is not to fight Nandala out of the union, but to save the only remaining sounding union in the region.

He said BCU has no coffee exporting licence and now the union operates as a middle man where it gets coffee from farmers and sells to other coffee dealers within the country.

"I am not trying to black mail the current board head Nandala, but the truth is, he has not licence for the union to export coffee. The coffee quality has declined because no time has been invested in guiding farmers on how to handle coffee," he said.

"We should not use the farmers' union to fight political wars. We should serve farmers instead of mobilizing them for political support," Nakiyi said.

If elected in office, Nakiyi pledged to work together with all to ensure a healthy system of internal control and compliance is put in place to guide all BCU activities to seal area of value leakage.

He also promised to closely work with the management to see how the union can diversify sources of income, adding that relying on only coffee sales and rent risks operations of the union.

He said he would explore ways of how the board can increase the funds allocated to education to help bright, but needy students in the region, which he said was not the case with the current board.

He said he will undertake farmer education to improve quality of coffee so that union coffee can vigorously compete on the world stage, adding that he will also teach primary society managers in basic book keeping and how to manage their own working capital cycle.

He pledged to create a revolving fund of at least sh50,000,000 using personal money to help primary societies in the zone that have working capital challenges.

However, farmers in Manafwa and Bududa zones, through their leaders, accused the current board of imbalanced distribution of jobs at the union, adding that over 95% of the jobs are given to only people from Budadiri where Nandala comes from.

"Nakiyi has explained to us how the union is collapsing," Abdu Nagimesi, a coffee farmer, said.

Nakiyi (standing behind the woman wearing a yellow dress) with BCU zonal delegates og Tsu-Tsu zone Bududa last week

However, Nandala blamed financial instability of the union on accumulated petitions, debts that faced in his last two terms, adding that he spent most of his time settling the petitions instead of working.

"Since I assumed leadership as the chairperson BCU, people had filed 500 petitions to government and by the time I entered BCU, there was accumulated debt of over sh10b, but we have managed to reduce up about sh2b," Nandala said.

Nandala also refuted allegations that all staff members at BCU were his relatives, adding that the board is responsible for recruiting and it is done on merit.

Nandala also lashed at Nakiyi, accusing him of spreading harmful propaganda and confusing famers.

"I am an international certified accountant, so this boy whom I saw growing up and wants to challenge my accounts, should stand warned. Nakiyi was even chased from the association of accountants because of unprofessional conduct," Nandala said.

Nandala said he is not scared of leaving the union, but delegates or famers will determine his fate, adding that Nakiyi is not a delegate, so he should not comment on BCU matters.