"Wamulugwa had a ghost coffee store in his mother's house & is not a member of the Cooperative"- Minister Ngobi assures Coffee Farmers of BCU's Stability as it holds its 64th AGM

The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives Hon. Fredrick Ngobi has assured coffee farmers in Bugisu of its stability and better performance under the leadership of Hon. Nandala Mafabi and noted that as Cooperative heads, they denied a request from John Francis Wamulugwa, the former Vice Chairman of Bugisu Cooperative Union (BCU) to organize a meeting with the BCU leadership and management.

The meeting was scheduled for November 18, 2024, at Mbale Resort, but the purpose of the gathering was not clearly stated in Wamulugwa’s request.

Wamulugwa, who claims to be the current leader of the Bugisu Elders’ Council Caucus has sought permission to convene the meeting involving 100 elders from Bugisu. 

According  to the minister, Robert Bariyo Barigye, the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, rejected the request in a letter dated November 5, 2024.

The minister made the submission during the Bugisu Cooperative Union annual General Meeting which took place yesterday at BCU in Mbale City.

The explained that his role was limited to overseeing cooperative societies and that the proposed delegates were not farmers, making them unsuitable for discussions related to BCU matters. 

The Minister further advised Wamulugwa to seek help from the BCU board or the Ministry of Gender instead.

First of all, when I went on ground to establish if Wamulugwa was a member, I found out that he wasn't and his store was not even in existence. We only found a signpost in his mother's house.

Nathan Nandala Mafabi, Chairperson of the BCU Board, dismissed Wamulugwa’s report, noting that it was part of a series of petitions—this being the 987th letter from Wamulugwa’s group. 

Mafabi emphasized that the proper forum for discussing BCU or farmer concerns is the Annual General Meeting (AGM), and criticized Wamulugwa’s group for not participating in their societies or contributing coffee to the union.

He urged Wamulugwa and his supporters to stop undermining each other and instead focus on constructive solutions to improve Bugisu. Mafabi stressed that BCU is committed to finding better markets for Bugisu coffee and prioritizing the needs of coffee farmers.