A coffee plantation in Ishaka, Bushenyi. Photo by: Martin Nomwesigwa.

COFFEE; A TREASURE EMBEDDED IN UGANDA’S TRADITION AND HISTORY

2 min readDec 3, 2022

Coffee has long been a part of our culture (did you know that Robusta coffee is considered an indigenous coffee species in Uganda?).

Coffee is heavily enshrined within our cultures in almost all parts of the country like in the central region (Buganda Kingdom), coffee is used as a sign of friendship, welcoming strangers or visitors into a home or society.

For instance, “emwanyi” which means coffee beans in the Luganda language (spoken by the Baganda; a Bantu tribe in Central Uganda) was used as an emblem in brotherhood rituals (blood pacts), initiation of new people into the community and celebrating the birth of twins.

Furthermore, the Baganda would drink coffee to freshen up their breath, keep them strong and active during work. They also used it in the treatment of some heart-related illnesses and asthma.

Indigenously, robusta coffee used to grow in the wild around the Lake Victoria basin until people started cultivating it in their household plantations.

Withstanding micro and macro challenges, Uganda has become a major coffee-producing country on the global stage; number 1 in Africa after overtaking Ethiopia.

However, most of the coffee produced today in Uganda is destined for export and more needs to be done to promote and increase local consumption.

According to Uganda Coffee Development Authority, Uganda’s coffee exports for FY2021/22 hit 6.26 million bags despite the drought. This is in contrast to 350,000 (60kg) bags in 2021/22 from 244,800 bags in 2017/18.