Nameere Denies Owing Coffee Farmers, Blames NRM Official Over Seedlings Dispute

What the report says

Nile Post reports that State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere has rejected accusations that she owes coffee farmers Shs150 million, saying the dispute stems from a coffee seedling supply arrangement linked to Masaka City NRM Chairperson Rogers Bulegeya. In a statement, Nameere said she asked President Yoweri Museveni last year to support Masaka City residents with coffee seedlings under a State House-backed effort to raise production and household incomes.

According to the report, Nameere alleges Bulegeya joined her meeting with the President, presented himself as having millions of seedlings, and was awarded the supply contract. She says he later failed to provide the agreed volumes and proposed a fraudulent arrangement involving payment for seedlings that were not available, which she says she refused. Nameere said Bulegeya subsequently obtained seedlings from 14 local farmers but still did not meet the expected quantities, after which she informed the President and was authorised to help oversee completion of distribution.

The allegation that Nameere owes Shs150 million was reportedly made publicly by farmer Cissy Nanyange. Nameere argues that the figure represents money allegedly owed to all 14 farmers by Bulegeya, not by her. She said she advised the State House Comptroller to process any payment only when Bulegeya appears with the farmers so each supplier can be paid directly. Nile Post also reports her claim that the Comptroller confirmed the contract was awarded to Bulegeya and payment is pending.

Nameere further suggested the accusations are politically motivated after she opposed efforts to free a suspect linked to alleged Parish Development Model fund theft, though the report notes she did not provide evidence for that claim. The dispute matters because coffee seedlings are part of government interventions aimed at boosting farm productivity and export earnings.