Mbale, (UG):- The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives has rejected a request by former Bugisu Cooperative Union (BCU) Vice Chairman, John Francis Wamulugwa, who currently claims to chair the Bugisu Elders’ Council Caucus.
Mr Wamulugwa had sought permission to mobilize elders from Bugisu for a meeting with the BCU leadership and management.
In his letter dated October 29, 2024, Wamulugwa requested clearance to organize a meeting on November 18 at Mbale Resort, proposing an attendance of 100 delegates. However, the purpose of the meeting remained unclear in his communication.
Responding to the request, Robert Bariyo Barigye, the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, declined to grant permission.
In a letter dated November 5, 2024, Barigye stated that his mandate is limited to regulatory oversight and supervision of cooperative societies. He also noted that the proposed delegates were not farmers and, therefore, not appropriate participants for discussions on BCU matters.
Barigye advised Wamulugwa to engage either the BCU board or the Ministry of Gender for relevant assistance.
Meanwhile, Hon Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the BCU Board Chairperson, described Wamulugwa’s request as part of a series of petitions, claiming it was the 987th letter from Wamulugwa’s team to the ministry.
Mafabi emphasized that the only legitimate forum for addressing union or farmer concerns is the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and criticized Wamulugwa’s group for avoiding their societies and failing to contribute coffee to the union, instead resorting to repeated petitions.
“BCU is focused on finding better markets for Bugisu coffee and prioritizing coffee farmers. I urge Wamulugwa and his team to heal, rejoin their societies, and bring constructive ideas to build Bugisu instead of consistently pulling each other down,” Mafabi said.
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