Nakaseke district leaders, led by State Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, have initiated a comprehensive campaign to eradicate poverty and enhance the quality of life for the local populace.
With an ambitious goal of reaching 50,000 beneficiaries, the initiative's main focus is providing coffee seedlings to locals.
To date, the program has benefited 5,000 people in the district. Minister Kyofatogabye underlined that the campaign's main objective is to enable the community to pay for necessities and lessen their reliance on outside help.
"This initiative aims to ensure that families in Nakaseke can afford basic necessities, like paying school fees for their children, feeding their families, and living dignified lives without having to beg for help," said Kyofatogabye.
He further urged the youth to actively embrace the project, stressing that coffee farming would not only keep them productive but also steer them away from illegal activities like theft, which has been a growing concern in the district.
Livingstone Bogere, a farmer and one of the recipients of the coffee seedlings, expressed his gratitude towards the authorities for the initiative.
However, he raised concerns over the rising incidences of coffee theft, which he said threatens to undermine the positive impact of the campaign.
"With coffee prices on the rise currently ranging between Shs. 6000 to 12,000 per kilogram depending on the type according to the Uganda Coffee Development Authority, many of us are experiencing theft in our gardens," Bogere explained.
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"Thieves are invading farms/ gardens and stealing our coffee, and this is killing our morale in farming."
Other farmers echoed Bogere's concerns, noting that the thefts were demotivating and hindering development efforts.
In response to the growing concerns, Nakaseke's Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Michael Muhoozi, called on locals to adopt a community-based approach to tackle the issue.
He recommended a cluster strategy, where groups of 10 households monitor each other's farms to protect crops and report suspicious activities.
"We are urging the community to work together and safeguard each other's farms," said Muhoozi. "If everyone keeps an eye on their neighbour's crops, it will be harder for thieves to steal unnoticed. And to the perpetrators, I want to issue a stern warning: if these thefts continue, there will be serious consequences."
As the poverty eradication campaign gains momentum, district leaders remain optimistic that it will uplift thousands of households and contribute to long-term development, but they acknowledge that addressing theft and ensuring security will be crucial for the program's success.
