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| Some of the coffee traders in Sembabule district stranded at their coffee stores |
Coffee farmers and traders in Sembabule District, Uganda, are facing significant financial distress after a middleman disappeared with 29.5 tonnes of processed coffee valued at Shs413 million. The dealer had collected the coffee beans from various farmers and factories, promising payment within two days but has since gone into hiding, leaving the farmers with substantial losses.
Mr. Fred Kyakonyi, one of the affected farmers, stated, “I trusted him and gave him my coffee on credit, but he left without a trace.” Kyakonyi alone lost coffee worth Shs158 million. Other traders such as Richard Nakarma, Geoffrey Bbaale, Kasim Ntanda, Tadeo Kisekka, and Ivan Kasozi have also been impacted by the scam.
Desperate, Tadeo Kisekka, who is owed Shs54 million, said, “I’m at a loss for what to do, we can only hope he’s safe and will return to settle the debts.” The chairperson of the Sembabule Coffee Traders Association, Hajji Kamada Musiini, noted that they had been regularly selling over 30 tonnes of coffee to the suspect each month and called on the police to intensify their search.
Masaka Regional Police spokesman, Twaha Kasirye, assured the farmers that investigations were underway and vowed that the police would find the suspect, whether alive or deceased. Meanwhile, Mr. Lawrence Majwala, head of the coffee department at the Masaka Cooperative Union, advised farmers to avoid relying on middlemen. “Had the farmers sold their coffee through a cooperative, they would have received immediate payment,” he explained.
Masaka sub-region is one of Uganda’s primary coffee-growing areas, with many households depending on coffee as a major source of income. The area’s high-quality Robusta coffee, particularly the preferred Screen 18 variety, is in strong demand.
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