By Spy Uganda
Kampala: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has told off all those fighting the controversial coffee agreement that they should forget terminating it but will instead study the proposals brought against it.
He made the revelation today Sunday while celebrating Labour Day at Kololo grounds in Kampala.
In the highly criticized agreement, Pinetti’s Vinci coffee company was given full rights to buy and sell all Ugandan coffee. Pinetti is the ‘investor’ behind the stalled Lubowa hospital. In the same coffee agreement, the company was given a 10-year tax holiday as well as a subsidized power tariff of five cents per unit of power for 10 years.
“The coffee deal I have heard a lot. We won’t take it away we are saying let’s study what you are saying. Good enough you have written it. It is in blue and black,” Museveni briefly said as he addressed the nation.
The deal has been a subject of debate in the country with leaders from both ruling NRM and opposition wing criticizing it as a bad deal that is aiming to benefit some greedy and ruthless mafias in government who are allegedly using Pinette to play their dubious deals.
This week the Attorney-General, Kiwanuka Kiryowa, and finance minister, Matia Kasaija, defended the controversial coffee deal saying that the contract is legal and binding.
“I checked the company’s legal standing and I was convinced that the company has proper legal standing in Uganda, therefore the contract has no breach of any provisions of the law. So, I confirm that I carried out legal due diligence on the company and I am convinced it is in compliance with the provisions and any of the laws,” Kiwanuka said.
