Politics: Museveni pledges coffee factory and ferry to boost regional trade
IBANDA, December 2, 2025 – President Yoweri Museveni, the National Resistance Movement [NRM]flag bearer in the upcoming presidential election, has pledged to build a coffee factory in Ibanda district and establish a ferry service on Lake George to strengthen agriculture and regional trade.
Campaigning in Ibanda after a tour of Buhweju, Museveni addressed thousands of supporters following remarks by district NRM chairperson Joveline Kaliisa, who is also the party’s flag bearer for the Ibanda Woman Member of Parliament seat.
Kaliisa called for improved road links between Ibanda and Kasese and requested a ferry to ease cattle transportation and boost trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
She said traders currently face long, costly journeys and that better roads, particularly the Atano–Munana–Kanyarugiri, Kabamba and Mubende routes, would support ongoing economic progress.
She noted that Ibanda has largely transitioned from subsistence farming to a money economy, supported by coffee seedlings distributed under the Parish Development Model [PDM] and Operation Wealth Creation [OWC]. The district has 28,062 hectares of coffee plantations producing more than 14,000 tonnes a year and generating an estimated Shs 78 billion, but still lacks essential processing equipment. Kaliisa appealed for coffee driers and hullers to improve productivity.
Museveni thanked residents for embracing government programmes such as the PDM, which he said has raised household incomes through agriculture and livestock projects. Addressing crowds in Kagongo Division, he urged people to seek opportunities in the private sector rather than rely solely on government jobs.
He also reiterated the NRM’s long-standing focus on peace and infrastructure, citing electricity, roads, water supply, communications and technology as foundations of development. The President encouraged households with small plots to adopt the four-acre farming model to increase income.
Museveni confirmed that several roads in the region are scheduled for construction and stressed that works should involve full repairs rather than patching potholes. Key projects include the Ibanda–Kitagwenda road, which is set to begin in February 2026, and improvements on routes linking Ibanda to Kamwenge and Kyegegwa.
To support cross-district trade, Museveni promised that a ferry would be introduced on Lake George to create a shorter route to Masyoro. He also pledged additional PDM support, including more free coffee and fruit seedlings.
Crowds applauded as he assured them that the government would continue investing in infrastructure and agricultural development in the district.
https://thecooperator.news/ibanda-cooperative-lays-plan-to-export-coffee/
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