MICHAEL N
A total of 306 boda boda riders from 34 sub-counties in Ntungamo District have received 30,000 coffee seedlings from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), in an initiative aimed at improving their livelihoods and reducing poverty.
Each rider received 100 seedlings as part of a broader effort to encourage income diversification among boda boda operators.
Speaking at the distribution event, the Bishop of South Ankole Diocese, Rt Rev Nathan Ahimbisibwe, commended boda boda riders for their growing sense of discipline, hard work, and determination compared to previous years. He urged them to make productive use of both their motorcycles and the coffee seedlings to improve household incomes.
The Bishop further encouraged riders to embrace coffee farming as a sustainable investment, cautioning against misusing their earnings on unproductive activities.
The Ntungamo District Boda Boda Riders Chairperson, Baryantunga, expressed gratitude to the government for responding to their request. He noted that although they had applied for 50,000 seedlings, they received 30,000, which were distributed among riders across the district. He said the initiative would significantly boost their income through both transport services and coffee farming. He also appealed for additional support, citing that the district has over 20,000 boda boda riders who could benefit from similar interventions.
Ntungamo Boda Boda Patron, Akim Garva Amwine, who is also the Mayor-elect of Nyamunuka Town Council, encouraged riders to engage in additional income-generating activities alongside their boda boda work. He appreciated the government’s continued support, noting that earlier in January, boda boda group associations across constituencies received financial assistance. He added that the coffee seedlings distributed are valued at approximately UGX 60 million.
However, the Ntungamo District Agricultural Officer, Esther Atwine, raised concerns over delays in service delivery by the ministry. She explained that the recommended planting season for coffee is October, and distributing seedlings during the dry season poses a risk, especially for farmers without irrigation systems.
The event was also attended by Ntungamo Resident District Commissioner Miriam Mugisha Kagiga, Deputy District Khadi Shierk Unice Rwamahe, and a representative from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.
