Masindi Sugarcane Farmers Threaten to Abandon NRM Over Kinyara Exploitation
Sugarcane farmers in Masindi, under the Bunyoro Sugarcane Farmers Cooperative Union Limited, have warned that they will not support the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the next election unless the government addresses their grievances against Kinyara Sugar Company.
Speaking to members of the press on Wednesday, at Country Inn Hotel in Masindi, the union's chairman, Mr. Mahmoud Kazimbiraine, urged the government to intervene by allowing farmers to use their own weighbridge to measure their sugarcane and to sell to factories of their choice rather than being restricted to Kinyara.
"We call upon the Ministry of Trade to uphold the principles of a liberalized economy and free trade. We do not support monopolization of our crop, especially since we cultivate sugarcane independently, without factory contracts," Kazimbiraine stated.
Farmers accuse Kinyara Sugar Factory of barring them from verifying the weight of their cane inside the factory. Instead, they are handed receipts showing lower tonnages than they used to record using their cooperative’s weighbridge.
Mugisa Steven, the NRM chairperson for Labong Subcounty, criticized Kinyara’s monopoly, stating that the company delays harvesting sugarcane for over 36 months and, even after collection, takes a long time to pay farmers. Additionally, payments are significantly lower than what other factories offer, yet farmers are restricted from selling elsewhere.
"Kinyara has even collaborated with police to impound trucks transporting sugarcane to other factories, falsely claiming the cane was stolen from their plantations," Mugisa alleged. He further emphasized that as the ruling government, NRM has a duty to protect farmers from exploitation and poverty.
The farmers appealed to the Ministry of Trade to engage with them and resolve these challenges, warning that failure to do so will push them to vote for the opposition in the 2026 elections.
However, Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police spokesperson, defended law enforcement, stating that police only assist in enforcing Ministry of Trade regulations regarding weighbridges and in curbing sugarcane theft in the region.
