Summary:
- The 37 billion shillings in question was never given to Rwabwogo or PACEID. Instead, the funds were disbursed to a consortium of 21 coffee companies.
OPED: In recent months, social media has been rife with claims that Odrek Rwabwogo misappropriated 37 billion Ugandan shillings for personal gain.
These allegations are not only false but also appear to be an attempt to tarnish both Rwabwogo’s personal reputation and his work with the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID).
The 37 billion shillings in question was never given to Rwabwogo or PACEID. Instead, the funds were disbursed to a consortium of 21 coffee companies.
At the time of the disbursement, the consortium was led by 10 individuals, with Nelson Tugume serving as its overall leader.
In a meeting held at State House, Entebbe, early last year, Tugume, who heads The Coffee Investment Consortium Uganda (CICU), informed the President that they needed approximately $10 million (37 billion Ugandan shillings) to facilitate the export of high-quality, processed coffee to the Balkans and other emerging markets, following the growing geopolitical tensions between Russia and the West.
President Museveni, in his wisdom, recommended that the government provide the $10 million through Uganda Development Bank (UDB), allowing the coffee consortium members to access quick funds to export coffee abroad.
However, Tugume and his consortium later persuaded the President to release the funds directly to their group, citing bureaucratic delays in the banking system.
Some prominent members of the consortium, including Jackie Arinda of Jada Coffee, Kwezi Kutesa of Kwezi Coffee, and Gerald Katabazi of Volcano Coffee, have since left, citing a lack of accountability from Tugume.
Anyone seeking accountability regarding the funds should direct their inquiries to Nelson Tugume and the 21 companies registered under the consortium.
By Gerald Baganzi
