The Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, Justine Kasule Lumumba, has urged people in Mayuge district to embrace the cultivation of oil palm, a crop she believes has the potential to uplift their standards of living.
She also encouraged the local leadership to assist farmers in accessing the necessary support, such as high-quality planting materials, fertilisers, insecticides, and technical advice from extension workers, to help them benefit from the project.
“Oil palm is a game changer. This has been proven in areas like Kalangala Islands, where farmers’ lives have drastically improved,” Lumumba, a former secretary general of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), stated.
She made these remarks on March 23, 2025, while serving as the chief guest at Peterson Memorial Primary School in Kigandalo subcounty, Mayuge, during a fundraising ceremony for the upgrade and expansion of Buyego Health Centre II.
Lumumba represented Speaker of Parliament Anita Among at the ceremony, which was organised by Bunya East Member of Parliament, James Kubeketerya. During the event, Lumumba delivered the Speaker’s contribution of sh20 million towards the project, while over 10 members of Parliament each contributed sh1 million.
Other contributions included sh3 million from Prof. Paul Waako, the vice chancellor of Busitema University, and his wife Eng. Ziria Tibalwa, sh2 million from Makerere University secretary Yusuf Kiranda, and sh5 million from Godfrey Wamaani on behalf of the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board, among others.
About the oil palm project
Last year, the government launched a sh154 billion initiative to promote the cultivation of oil palm in the three Busoga districts of Mayuge, Bugiri, and Namayingo, with the primary aim of reducing poverty in the region.
Under the National Oil Palm Project (NOPP), the government aims to plant oil palm on at least 3,500 hectares of land in Busoga, with financial support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
At the project’s flag-off in May last year, Fred Kyakulaga, the Minister of State for Agriculture, revealed that an oil palm farmer could earn a profit of up to sh500,000 per month from each acre, with the crop continuing to yield for up to 25 years.
As part of the project, the Minister also launched the distribution of 3,888 tonnes of fertilisers across the three districts, while each registered farmer is provided with sh12 million to support farm activities, which is to be repaid once harvesting begins in 3-4 years.
Kyakulaga noted that in addition to creating jobs on farms and at the refinery, the project will help the government avoid the high costs associated with importing edible oil from countries like Malaysia.
According to Kyakulaga, Uganda requires up to 400 million tonnes of edible oil per year but currently produces only 80 tonnes, meaning the remaining oil must be imported at a cost of over sh300 million.
