KAMPALA —The Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among early this week met the Mbarara City North Member of Parliament Dr. Robert Rukaari and his predecessor, Michael Tusiime at her Parliamentary office.
Ms Among who met the duo on Monday, tweeted;
“This afternoon, I met Mbarara City North Member of Parliament
Robert Rukaari and his predecessor Michael Tusiime in my office at @Parliament_Ug.
I urged them to work together for the well-being of the people and to put aside political differences”
The duo contested for the seat in the 2021 elections, with Dr. Rukaari emerging the victor in the NRM primaries, after beating Tusiime for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag in the September 2020 party primary elections.
Dr. Rukaari is also the party’s chairman of entrepreneurs’ league.
Tusiime also, an economist who moved a motion in January 2017 that led to the parliamentary committee inquiry into the UGX.6b oil cash bonanza dubbed “handshake” has since been appointed Director Training & Audit at Parliament.
Rukaari who also defeated Tusiime in the general polls—becoming an MP in the 11th Parliament, where he is leading conversations on value addition on coffee.
This afternoon, I met Mbarara City North Member of Parliament
Robert Rukari and his predecessor Michael Tusiime in my office at @Parliament_Ug.I urged them to work together for the well-being of the people and to put aside political differences. pic.twitter.com/Ujby7EuwQ0
— Anita Annet Among (@AnitahAmong) September 5, 2022
Rukaari for example has since led a crusade for the autonomy of Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) after the government plotted to merge the agency.
During one of heated Parliamentary sessions, Rukaari warned that the government would be shooting its self in the foot with such consideration.
Mwesigwa said that rationalization and merging is very good is but from an enterprenur point of view, he wondered why would one make UCDA, a department under MAAIF.
“In Africa, Uganda is the number one coffee exporters, we produce more than 9 million bags of coffee whereas Ehiopia is number one in production. They have more local consumption which we don’t. However, Uganda, for god’s sake, why would one dare take such an authority under a MAAIF Ministry?” he said.
Citing an example of Kenya in 2014, Rukaari said the neigbouring country later regretted the blunder before repealing the Coffee Board act to return an authority after disastrous effects on coffee production.
“Whereas I support especially, electricity companies merging them and forming one authority, like that, similarly, we would also have one authority which will also cater fall cash crops for example cocoa. I recommend we have an independent authority for cash crops especially coffee and we don’t kill our cash cow,” he said.
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