By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE
Delegates from ten primary societies under Gumutindo Coffee Cooperative Enterprise Limited have granted the current board another four years term.
They granted them another term during the Annual General Meeting which took place at the Union offices located at Industrial area, industrial city division in Mbale City on Tuesday, 9th April, 2024.
Gumutindo coffee cooperative Enterprise limited was formed by coffee farmers from Bugisu region in 2003.
The purpose of forming this enterprise was to export organic coffee (where farmers don’t use chemicals to spray or artificial fertilizers) at higher price.
The enterprise ran bankrupt and collapsed with all its primary societies until 2018 when it was bailed out by Bugisu cooperative Union (BCU) with over Shs400M.
The bail revived it and it started exporting coffee of farmers again and a new leadership was put in place as cooperative laws guide.
Maberi Moses, the Chairperson vetting committee at Gumutindo coffee cooperative Enterprise limited during AGM meeting proposed the following names, was seconded and passed by farmers.
The unopposed members are; Patrick Waniaye, the board chairperson from Busamaga Cooperative Primary Society, Oliver Kishelo the Vice chairperson, and Edward Magombe treasurer.
Board members are; Wabuya Defasi, Gorret Nandala, Mary Nasasa, Richard Masolo, George Kigai, and Charles Nasuya.
The Chairperson vetting committee also conducted another election where farmers elected Stephen Kundu as the chairperson supervision committee.
He said the board members all meet the minimum qualifications like being a member, paying membership fees and patronizing their coffee in the union as the law requires.
Leonard Kavudira, from ministry of cooperative who represented commissioner expressed his happiness with the election saying they have shown the entire world that the union is still surviving and ready to resume work of collecting coffee from farmers and selling it at good price as it used to do.
He urged framers to hold this board to accountability in case four years of office ends without any changes.
Patrick Waniaye, the chairperson who retained his seat urged those farmers who are continuing with petitions to come and work with them to develop the union.
He promised to change the face of the union and make it resume selling coffee of farmers abroad as it used to do before the end of his four years term of office.
John Musila, the Bugisu cooperative Union BCU vice Chairperson also doubling as Member of Parliament representing Bubulo East constituency in Namisindwa district says that the purpose of bailing out Gumutindo coffee cooperative Enterprise limited was to improve on organic coffee exportation.
He says that there are some people who are not even farmers who are aiming to fail the union by petitioning the ministry of cooperative with false information against the board and union and urged the ministry not to give them attention.
Rexy Acheli the Mbale resident city commissioner has urged the new board not to be involved in corruption such that they serve farmers and develop.
