By KGR Reporter,
Parliament has passed the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024, effectively dissolving the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA).
The passage of the Bill, which reshapes the country’s coffee regulatory framework, took place during a plenary sitting today amid heightened tensions and a walkout led by Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi.
The session began, with opposition legislators clashing on the floor shortly after State Minister for Works Musa Ecweru introduced a separate bill, the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) Repeal Bill, 2024.
The sitting was suspended twice by Speaker Anita Among, first for 30 minutes following a scuffle involving Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake and Kilak North MP Anthony Akol.
Zaake alleged the presence of a firearm in the chamber, sparking chaos as he attempted to confront the Speaker’s bodyguard, leading to a physical altercation with Akol.
Following the first suspension, Speaker Among returned to announce a second suspension and ordered the removal of 12 MPs, including Zaake and Akol, for inciting violence. Others suspended included Wakayama Musoke, MP Nansana Municipality; Shamim Malende, Kampala Woman MP; and Susan Mugabi, Kalangala District Woman MP among the group.END.