The Buganda Kingdom has announced a bid to to examine the possibility of re-establishing Cooperative Unions in the central region.
According to the Kingdom premier, Charles Peter Mayiga, the Kingdom administration will set a liaison committee in place by end of next week and thereafter send out a communication to different cooperative Unions in a bid to revive their operations.
The Katikkiro made the revelation following a meeting with the administrators of Masaka Cooperative Union led by the Chairman Joseph Kavuma Mwanje who briefed him about the different efforts taken to revamp the cooperative union. He said the unions will help boost production and marketing of coffee in the world markets.
Mayiga stated that the objective is to start cooperative unions across the Kingdom but since there are existing unions already, it may be useful to work with them and support each other as opposed to starting new cooperative unions.
He noted that the committee will examine the advantages that can be exploited by the Kingdom and the already existing cooperatives to ensure that the cooperative movement is strengthened within the Kingdom.
The unions in particular include; West-Mengo Cooperative Union, Masaka Cooperative Union, Wamala Cooperative Union in Mityana and others.
Last year during his 26th Coronation anniversary celebrations, the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II emphasized the importance of cooperatives in tackling poverty and unemployment in the central region and Uganda calling upon people to grow cash crops, especially coffee.
He said that with so many people complaining about poverty and unemployment, resurrecting investment groups and cooperatives is one important way to help improve household income. Kabaka Mutebi stated that Buganda has historically led the way in savings and cooperative groups, with cotton and coffee-growing farmers the backbone of Uganda’s economy.
Mayiga now says that once fully revived, Cooperative Unions will help farmers get better prices for their coffee, increase the country’s foreign exchange earnings, promote good quality products among others.
