President Museveni's defence of his government's push to place the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) under the Ministry of Agriculture for three years has stirred a wave of criticism, especially among Central region legislators.

In response, Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, Chairperson of the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus, described Museveni as an "economic gambler," suggesting this decision could have serious implications for Uganda's coffee sector and overall economy.

"For the last 40 years, President Museveni has been gambling with the economy. He started with barter trade--where is it now? Now he wants to control coffee," Kivumbi said, expressing concern over Museveni's handling of economic policies.

President Museveni reignited the debate through a letter posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, defending the proposed restructuring as part of the government's RAPEX policy, which aims to reduce expenditures by consolidating operations.

However, he also condemned what he described as "tribalism" within the discourse surrounding the coffee sector, suggesting that some critics of the plan might be influenced by external forces.

The directive has sparked strong responses from both analysts and lawmakers, with some demanding an apology from Speaker Anita Among.

They accused her of taking a tribalistic stance on a national cash crop that is vital to household incomes across Uganda.

Museveni's letter suggested that the government would investigate whether the anti-rationalization advocates are indeed influenced by external forces, a claim legislators say reflects his approach to control critical decisions.

Critics argue that integrating UCDA into the Ministry of Agriculture could result in bureaucratic inefficiencies, potentially undoing years of progress in the coffee sector and limiting the authority's ability to address farmers' needs effectively.