MP hopeful says will work hard to bring development to the district
In May 2022, Annet Oyes Byamukama concluded one of the deals that will transform the tea industry in Buhweju. This deal with Kashenyi Tea Company Limited involves construction of the tea factory on her 5 acres of land near her country home in Kashenyi-Kajani Town Council, Buhweju District.
The former contestant for the District Woman MP Buhweju district has demonstrated that she has the potential to promote development through networking for the area.
This started with her family engagements with Mr Garuga Musinguzi one of the investors in the tea value chain in Uganda.
This factory is projected to use 50,000kg of green leaf per day once completed in 2023. It will directly employ 250 Ugandans especially those from Buhweju district and about 1,000 indirectly through transport and logistics.
Currently the first phase is nearing completion and in January the weathering process is expected to start. This development has already created positive impact with huge multiplier effect on the economy of Buhweju district.
Farmers in Buhweju
Ms Annette Oyes Byamukama indicated that already the price of green leaf has increased from Shs450 to Shs 500 per Kg owing to increased competition. It is important to noted that the new factory model is based on quality and this is being trained to farmers as a mechanism for increasing the prices and incomes to farmers.
She told our reporter that she is so grateful to the  Government for bring electricity in the area which has made it possible to convince the investor to locate in Buhweju. The location is central and on the main road through the district to Katera in Rubirizi which is about 50Km from the factory.
The MP hopeful is however appealing to Government to consider tarmarking this road to ease transport for both raw and finished tea.
Following these developments, Government has provided resources to facilitate the supply of about 102 million tea seedlings to further promote tea farming to ensure that the three factories in the area have sufficient green leaf to feed into the facilities.
She also noted that Buhweju has more investment opportunities especially Gold mining, tourism, coffee and other minerals that can process ceramics products.
Mrs Byamukama also highlighted the challenge of food which is being noted even before the factory starts.
“The employers will need food on a daily basis and this creates more business opportunities for the locals. So it this requires more effort to ensure that enough food is produced in the area to avoid importation of food from outside the district. We shall need to feed at least 300 people daily and this requires a lot of food” she stressed.
She promised to continue identifying more opportunities to ensure that industry development is promoted within the district.
She appealed to farmers with sufficient land to plant the tea and benefit from the opportunities. She is also appealing to all the local leaders to embrace these investments and other projects she has brought for the people since these will benefit Buhweju as a whole.
She has already started tea farming and employees at least 50 women on a daily basis on her plantations. She has also worked with Kashenyi Tea Company limited and planted tea on at least 200 acres for a few opinion leaders as a way of promoting the industry in Buhweju County and other parts of the district.
Buhweju County is still virgin and has been identified as a potential for tea farming hence the location of the factory in Kashenyi. It is up to the locals to tap into this great business and farming opportunity and to set their eyes on the mission and vision of Annet Byamukama who even after losing the last MPÂ elections is working to fight poverty in Buhweju.
