Acholi politicians urged to include coffee cultivation in 2026 campaigns

Gulu: In a powerful call to action, Uganda’s Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny Dollo, co-chair of the influential Rocco Paco initiative, has urged Acholi politicians to make coffee cultivation a core part of their campaign manifestos for the upcoming 2026 elections.

This comes in response to concerning statistics released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), which place the Acholi sub-region at the bottom of Uganda’s socio-economic ladder, with a staggering poverty index of 67.7%.

These distressing figures have prompted action from key Acholi leaders, including Ambassador Olara Otunu, former president of the UPC party, and Lt. Gen. Charles Otema Awany, the respected commander of the UPDF reserve force. Together, they are taking steps to address the deep-rooted poverty affecting their people.

The leaders emphasize the need to shift from traditional, fast-maturing crops that offer minimal economic returns to high-value, perennial crops like coffee, macadamia, and cocoa.

They believe that such a transition could transform the region’s economic landscape, lifting it from its poverty-stricken state.

In 2023, Owiny Dollo and Otunu launched a game-changing initiative known as Gure me Pongdwongo, which has quickly become an annual gathering for the Acholi people.

This platform allows for meaningful discussions and the development of sustainable solutions to the region’s most pressing issues, including those born from the brutal 20-year conflict with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

The aftermath of the LRA conflict left the Acholi community devastated, eroding the region’s rich cultural, social, and economic fabric. The destruction of traditional agro-pastoral practices contributed to the region’s economic struggles. In light of these challenges, Owiny Dollo and Otunu launched the ROCO PACO campaign, meaning “reviving home” in Acholi, to rebuild and restore traditional homesteads and cultural practices, reinforcing a sense of identity and unity within the community.

The second edition of Gure me Pongdwongo in December 2024 resulted in 15 resolutions, including the advocacy for increased coffee cultivation. The resolutions also addressed pressing issues such as food security, environmental sustainability through tree planting, expanding educational opportunities, fostering sports development, and uniting warring cultural chiefs in the region.

To further these efforts, Owiny Dollo and Otunu established DERO KWAN, the Acholi education granary, an initiative that recently funded the education of 60 talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds, enabling them to pursue Ordinary Level education as of February this year.

The government’s support is also pivotal in the region’s agricultural revival. In a significant move to boost coffee cultivation, the government has allocated 2.5 million coffee seedlings for the Acholi sub-region for the 2025 planting season. Sylvia Damalie Owori, the Director of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), confirmed the allocation during a recent interview in Gulu. She detailed plans to establish a 100-acre demonstration plot in Agago District, generously donated by Chief Justice Owiny Dollo, which will be used for coffee seedling multiplication and agricultural education.

The initiative, which includes advanced agricultural mechanization equipment and an irrigation system for the Agago nursery, aims to ensure the seedlings are distributed to farmers between March and April 2025, coinciding with the first planting season. Additional distributions will be made based on demand, with the hope of enabling farmers across the region to benefit from this transformative agricultural project.

By prioritizing coffee cultivation and sustainable agriculture, Acholi leaders hope to break the cycle of poverty and build a more prosperous future for the region’s people, while also restoring a sense of unity and identity in a community that has faced years of hardship.

“Include Coffee Growing in Your Campaign Manifesto” – CJ Dollo

During a recent meeting with the district executive committees from all ten administrative units of the Acholi sub-region at the ROCO PACO secretariat in Gulu City, Uganda’s Chief Justice, Alphonse Owiny Dollo, passionately urged Acholi politicians to integrate coffee cultivation into their political campaign manifestos for the upcoming 2026 elections.

He stressed the urgency of embedding coffee initiatives into their platforms as part of the broader strategy to combat the region’s entrenched poverty and economic challenges.

Chief Justice Owiny Dollo, co-chair of the ROCO PACO initiative, which is focused on the socio-economic and cultural revitalization of the Acholi community, highlighted the need to focus on farmers who are genuinely committed to responsible and sustainable farming practices.

“We must remain vigilant,” he said, warning that personal relationships should not take precedence over a genuine commitment to developing the coffee industry in the region. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that the 2.5 million coffee seedlings allocated to the Acholi sub-region this planting season are entrusted to dedicated and hardworking farmers.

He also called for wider community engagement in coffee cultivation, urging politicians to advocate vigorously for coffee farming in their campaigns. “Use your airtime wisely; engage in discussions about coffee on the radio, and bring in technical experts to educate our community,” Dollo advised. “Every household must be informed and involved in this initiative this is crucial for the future of Acholi.”

In addition to advocating for increased coffee farming, Dollo and other ROCO PACO leaders are also pushing for laws to ban harmful agricultural practices like bush burning and uncontrolled livestock grazing, which have been detrimental to coffee cultivation.

Emmanuel Orach, the Nwoya district LCV chairperson and chairperson of the Acholi LCV Association, confirmed that Nwoya district has already enacted regulations to tackle food insecurity and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

These include encouraging families to store at least 500 kilograms of food annually and promoting tree planting and coffee cultivation. He noted that innovative farmers in Nwoya are already seeing success with coffee farming, thanks to the fertile soils of the district.

Defying Colonial Myths: Oyaro Koyo’s Coffee Farming Journey

In a powerful reflection on overcoming historical challenges, Oyaro Koyo, an 80-year-old farmer in Gulu, provides a beacon of hope for coffee farming in the region. Despite facing numerous obstacles including the 20 years of conflict in northern Uganda Oyaro’s passion for coffee farming has remained unshaken.

Having worked for years as a factory manager at Agricultural Enterprises Limited, Oyaro made a life-changing decision in 2001 when he received 100 coffee seedlings from the Uganda Coffee Development Authority. Despite the challenges posed by the LRA insurgency, Oyaro returned to his plantation after peace returned to the region, nurturing his coffee plants back to life. Today, his thriving one-acre coffee garden yields up to one ton of coffee during good harvests, supporting his family and positioning him as a model for other farmers.

Oyaro’s story is also a testament to the resilience of Acholi farmers, who defied colonial-era myths that coffee could not thrive in the region.

He speaks passionately about the long-term benefits of coffee farming, emphasizing the patience and dedication required to maintain and harvest coffee. His innovative farming practices, such as intercropping coffee with bananas, cassava, and fruit trees, not only benefit his coffee but also provide a diverse range of produce, strengthening his farm’s sustainability.

A Vision for the Future: Coffee Farming in Schools

In a hopeful move, Acholi secondary schools are beginning to embrace coffee farming as part of their curriculum. Supported by the National Patriotism Club, several schools in the region, such as Sir Samuel Baker School, Pece SS, and Trinity College, are cultivating coffee as part of an educational initiative to engage students in sustainable agriculture.

Daniel Comboni, regional secretary for the Patriotic Club in the Acholi sub-region, sees this initiative as a way to equip students with vital agricultural skills while fostering a sense of national pride.

These students, once they graduate, will return to their villages with the expertise to establish coffee farms and serve as extension agents, sharing their knowledge with local farmers eager for growth.

The initiative is not only about agriculture; it’s also about environmental sustainability and restoration. By promoting coffee cultivation, these schools are also addressing the region’s pressing ecological issues.

The Path Ahead for Coffee in Acholi

As Acholi leaders continue to advocate for coffee farming as a key pillar of the region’s economic revival, there is hope that these efforts will transform the socio-economic landscape of the Acholi sub-region. With the collaborative efforts of politicians, farmers, and educational institutions, coffee farming could become a cornerstone of sustainable development for Acholi, helping to alleviate poverty and build a brighter future for generations to come.

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