President Yoweri Museveni donated sh40BN tea project to Buhweju district for supplying freely tea seedlings to farmers in the district last year to promote tea growing and household incomes.
Hundreds of farmers (tea suppliers and tea nursery bed operators) in hundreds swung in action and supplied tea to the district which went to some tea farmers but since there were procurement problems up to now the district has not submitted the list and quantities of tea supplied to farmers in respect to sh40BN tea seedlings.
It is suspected that some district leaders, especially the political wing illegally took it upon themselves to make tea supply companies and decided to supply tea and some supplied ghost tea and up to now there are no proper records of how much tea was supplied.
Consequently, the technical staff who include the Buhweju Chief Administrative officer Henry Ddamba who were allegedly intimidated by the District Chairman Deo Atuhaire in the process whole process especially selection of tea suppliers are stuck on what they should submit as tea supplied in returns to the NAADS secretariat in Kampala.
There is however information that some improper returns of tea supplied that were sent to NAADS secretariat was rejected making tea supplied returns a problem yet the tea suppliers are vehemently demanding for payment.
How the President’s donation has chocked the district leaders/technical staff
The farmers or tea suppliers and tea nursery bed operators who should have received their payment by now as returns were expected to have been paid made late last year are vehemently demanding for their payments.
It is said that most of the famers if not all borrowed money from SACOS and banks to fund the tea seedlings supply and that some were allegedly duped by some leaders that they should supply under them and so their claims (how much they supplied and how much money they expect) are not even known making it a more serious scandal.
It is said that about 50 of the tea suppliers and nursery bed operators have been jailed for debts accrued from supplying tea seedings and others are on the run from their homes for fear to be arrested.
The aggrieved people are reportedly planning a demonstration this Thursday at the district headquarters that is at the CAOs, Chairman LC5 and District Production officer’s office where they want to seat and demand for their payments.
Kenneth Kamukama a tea supplier says they have debts and are demanding payment for the tea seedlings they supplied to farmers in the district.
He alleged that that the LC5 Chairman Deo Atuhaire Omuhatizi has been at the centre of the sh40BN tea scandal.
He calls upon government investigating bodies such IGG, Auditor General, Cabinet, State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Col Edith Nakalema, Parliament and their area MPs and the press to come and help them.
“We are stuck, we the farmers and local people but we need our payments to be made, we need help from above in our government and President Museveni to help us” Kamukama said yesterday in a telephone interview.
Apparently almost all the area MPs have kept a distance on the scandal, it is not clear whether they are soaked in it or not.
Other tea suppliers are stressed and have turned the pressure to the technical staff and the district Politicians and their cohorts who have messed up the district with intense corruption.
There are 8000 tea nursery bed operators and 136 tea suppliers. They were expected to generate 102 tea million seedlings.
Besides the payment issues of tea supplied earlier, this tea scandal story was broken by the East African watch. net some time back when tea farmers in the district cried out that they were supplied less tea seedlings than they requested and signed for from the tea suppliers, giving this tea scandal two faces.
The confusion has reportedly forced the CAO Dumba to take a short leave maybe by the time he returns to office he will find the situation to have cooled down.
Tea farmers and suppliers make comments in a whatsup group
Some of the leaders and opinion leaders who made their comments include Eng. Bosco Karisa. Eng. who previously controlled the political process of the district has declared interest to un seat MP Ephraim Biraro. Hon Biraro is the MP for Buhweju West. Some of the leaders are expecting money from the tea supplied to fund their campaigns in 2026.
Comments in a whatsup group;
Mwebare kutubonabonesa. May God reward u in the same measure.
Yaa maweee my 100,000 tea seedlings cheyi!!!
Amaziima gonka
By the way I want to know who is Ayebaze Abby colony should come and explain why?
Ba suppliers ningira nimureba amajani gibabashazire ahugagire a difference 500000seedlings
Okuruga Rushambya nogira ngu nkaretwa omutunga? The ground is leveled come 2026 you will either lose or die very poor.
You can abuse me or leave it but chapter Art 1 (4) still reigns. Kahendekye tekwita Mbogo.
If you think DPO,CAO, Auditor are stupid to be fooled by “a poor man from Rushambya then I have a problem”
I call upon all priests, pastors, canons and all people to organize a prayer day for Buhweju District if not that twahwaho
40billions in Buhweju District deru you are just sleeping with files
Eshi chairman oturire
Konka na Russia eketwara nkeyamani yatekateka ngu ngunezakuhangura Ukraine hati empundu ekiriyo negamba
I had that COA went on leave because of putting on pressure by you chairman
Esente tizikwenda nduru chairman
This is big sums of money for us Buhweju people
Hon .mwijukye Francis mp wabantu oturugireho .
This is your time to help us
For your own information hon.mwijukye Francis all big files submitted are for Deo chairman . This arrongant chairman is playing cheap politics
Obwahati Buhweju District we don’t have CAO, DPO, Auditor because chairman emirimo yoona akagegaruza and even that’s why submitted files are incomplete.
Engineer I think Deo is a main cause of these problems because this is not first to supply tea seedlings in Buhweju District. Obwiire Asiimwe Jevunal nkaba ntakahuriraga nagamba nkebi.
Nagira eitima Naronda business? Buza Dan ekinkozire kayanza, factory ekarema buri government but just in two years I secured an investor and construction in kayanza and Rwajere has started.
Pliz Bebaga respect me, you have never won an election and this means you have never been trusted and you are aware that I am seasonal leader who has been trusted.
I trounced you when stood with you and therefore Akamanyiro okanyiheho. We brought tea seedlings such that our 30000 get seedlings.
I want to asure every supplier who did his work as expected his file must go and technical team yesterday gave us good progress.
Nyowe mutabani wa win na Daniel omutizi mwijukuru wa rugonobuta owa kagundu kataryeba na kahigiriza will never over my dead body do what is wrong because some one intimidated me.
Some of the documents and communication made on this tea scandal
Efforts to reach the NAADS secretariat for comments were futile and comments as well from the Chairman LC 5, CAO and the area MPs could not be secured as they did not take or return our calls on mobile phone. But some time back when the scandal was un earthed by the eastafricanwatch.net the LC5 boss Deo made the comments below;
Mr. Deo Atuhaire the Buhweju district chairperson who also runs the docket of the district production secretary could be in the middle of this storm or saga or scandal.
Mr. Deo Atuhaire comments Buhweju tea saga
Read his comments verbatim in both English and Runyankore/Rukiga below;
Owaresire amajanishi ago ni jaffar? They voted me when I was staying in Bushenyi, is the office in Bushenyi, if I come in Bushenyi weekend does government work in weekend? For example I have 24 subcounties I am I going to stay in @ of them? that’s premitive thinking and even any person who agree with such is premitive.
Hati omuntu owubaha amagyani ekesayiningira noyenda ngu RDC na Chairman bagirebata? ( that if you sign and are cheated by tea suppliers what do want the leaders us to do?)
How can any sensible person singn 1000 seedlings insteady of 30000
How under my watch? Some of those farmers need to be arrested, why should they accept to sign 1000 seedlings instead of 20000. Others got it and sold it, others got little tea and got money to sign.
It’s true some of my extension workers connieved with suppliers
The chairman parish and PDC Sacco chairman, parish chiefs, extension worker, subcounty chief at subcounty level witnessed exercise and must sign, if they sign what else can Deo do?
In tea every body nomufere. Tell them to give writen complaint you will see, there is a group of farmers in nsika who petitioned but in two days they wrote to me saying they have withdown
As I talk my civil servants are paid their salary, Buhweju is only District in region that is having wtater project of 50 billion, seed schools of 8 billion, Tea 40 billion etc.
When asked that his family lives in Bushenyi yet he is an LC5 chairman of Buhweju he reacted “ Iam like God , I stay everywhere . My home is in Burere, go to Nsiika you see what I am doing, have descent family in Bushenyi, my family stays mbarara and now constructing in Kampala”.
“Allow to put my brain now in development ideas and leave gossiping to those idle mind .Good day and Mary Xmas” he concludes his remarks in a whatsup engagement.
Atuhaire’s comments which are above were sent me on my whatsup. check the news link of the story published then
What is the fate of President Museveni’s sh40B tea seedlings project of Buhweju district?
Will the elected leaders especially those supported by Eng Karisa be re-elected in 2026, will Eng Karisa himself be elected MP amidst this terrible performance of his friends?
Lets wait to see what happens in Buhweju come 2026 elections but it is also expected that government may not now look on as tea resources are stolen and mismanaged by the shameless leaders.
