Overview:
His death comes less than a year after the dissolution of UCDA, following President Museveni’s assent in December 2024 to the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which finalized Parliament’s decision to rationalize the Authority he once led.
Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye, former Executive Director of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), passed away this morning, 18th November 2025, leaving Uganda’s coffee fraternity in deep mourning.
His death comes less than a year after the dissolution of UCDA, following President Museveni’s assent in December 2024 to the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which finalized Parliament’s decision to rationalize the Authority he once led.
Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze confirmed the news with sorrow, describing Dr. Iyamulemye as a pillar of Uganda’s coffee sector and a visionary whose leadership reshaped the country’s position on the global coffee map.
“He played a key leadership role in designing and implementing Uganda’s coffee roadmap that brought about exponential growth,” Tumwebaze said.
“He was bold, firm, intelligent, and fought tirelessly in international coffee forums for the rightful classification of African coffees—Uganda’s Robusta and Ethiopia’s Arabica.” He added that Dr. Iyamulemye also worked with colleagues to open new markets, including China, expanding Uganda’s global footprint.
During his tenure as Executive Director (2016–2021), Uganda registered some of its most remarkable achievements in coffee history. In 2020, independent specialists ranked Uganda as the world’s third-best coffee origin after blind cupping samples from multiple countries. That same year, monthly coffee exports surpassed 500,000 60-kg bags for the first time, later peaking at 700,250 bags worth US$70 million in July 2021.
Under his guidance, UCDA championed a nationwide campaign to stump old coffee trees, distribute organic fertilizers, and strengthen farmer extension systems through cooperatives. The Authority also forged pioneering partnerships with religious and cultural institutions, such as the Catholic and Anglican Churches, to expand national coffee acreage—efforts that led to the establishment of large-scale coffee farms for income generation.
Beyond UCDA, Dr. Iyamulemye built a distinguished career in agricultural development spanning more than 15 years. An agricultural scientist with a Ph.D. and MBA, he held deep expertise in strategic planning, programme management, rural development, crop protection, and international phytosanitary standards. Before joining UCDA, he served as National Programme Coordinator for the EU-funded ALREP and KALIP programmes under the Office of the Prime Minister, and earlier as Programme Manager with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) between 2008 and 2010.
He earned both his Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences and his Master’s in Crop Science from Wageningen University, and later acquired an MBA from Uganda Martyrs University—academic achievements that underpinned his technical competence and leadership excellence.
As Minister Tumwebaze expressed, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries and the wider coffee fraternity, heartfelt condolences go out to Dr. Iyamulemye’s family, colleagues, and friends. Uganda has lost not only a scientist and leader, but a champion whose legacy will continue shaping the nation’s coffee sector for years to come.