The Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) has announced that it has not renewed Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye Niyibigira’s contract as the entity’s Managing Director following expiration of his contract on September 30, 2021.
According to Apollo Kamugisha, the Director Development Services at UCDA, he said that due to the absence of a Board, the Managing Director, Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye Niyibigira, was unable to renew his contract.
“The Management of Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) informs coffee sub-sector stakeholders that due to the absence of a Board, the Managing Director, Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye Niyibigira, was unable to renew his contract and as such it came to a natural end on 30 September 2021,” Apollo Kamugisha said.
Section 22 (1) of the National Coffee Act 2021 on appointment of the managing director, states: “There shall be a managing director of the authority who shall be appointed by the board, on such terms and conditions as the board may determine.”
Emmanuel Iyamulemye traveled to Dubai for the ongoing Expo in the UAE even after being refused by Minister Frank Tumwebaze because his contract had expired.
According to Kamugisha, the line ministry, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, is working tirelessly to have a Board in place, which in turn, shall appoint the new Managing Director as provided for in the National Coffee Act 2021.
“In the meantime, Management would like to reassure all sub-sector stakeholders that UCDA continues to carry out its mandate to regulate, promote and oversee the quality of coffee along the entire value chain, support research and development, promote production, and improve the marketing of coffee in order to optimize foreign exchange earnings for the country and payments to the farmers,” he said.
The Uganda Coffee Development Authority was established as a public authority and its mandate is to promote and oversee the coffee industry by supporting research, promoting production, controlling the quality and improving the marketing of coffee. This is aimed at optimising foreign exchange earnings for the country and payments to the farmers.
