Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Nathan Nandala Mafabi has vowed to revitalise dormant cooperatives across the country, starting with the Sebei Cooperative Society, which he says will be restored to empower farmers and increase household incomes.
Addressing a rally along the Bukwo–Suum road, Mafabi said agriculture remains the backbone of Uganda and can only thrive when farmers are organised under functional cooperatives with access to affordable credit through a revived Cooperative Bank.
He highlighted the success of the Bugisu Cooperative Union, which he currently heads, as a working example of how organised farmers can collectively market their produce, secure fair prices, and improve their livelihoods.
Nandala promised that once elected, all cooperatives countrywide would be fully revived and supported to function effectively.
“The cooperative model is the real engine of agricultural transformation. Once your cooperative is working, you can store your produce, negotiate better prices, and get loans at low interest to expand your farms,” Nandala Mafabi said.
He thanked the crowds for their overwhelming reception and urged each one of them to act as his ambassador by spreading the FDC message of change and economic liberation.
Nandala asked them to popularise the FDC manifesto, which he described as a people-centred plan aimed at ensuring Ugandans live dignified lives with access to food, healthcare, education, and decent income from their land.
Turning to the plight of the Benet community and residents living near protected areas, Nandala Mafabi promised that no one would be forcefully evicted or harassed by authorities once he assumes leadership.
He said communities around natural resources must benefit rather than suffer, adding that access to firewood, herbal medicine, and land for cultivation should not be criminalised.
“People living near Elgon and other reserves must eat and earn. Natural resources should feed the people first before anyone else benefits,” he said.
At the rally, locals claimed that at least one person is killed over activities like fetching firewood or gathering herbs in the Elgon forest reserve.
In response to their outcry, Nandala said such incidents will become history under his leadership.
He reaffirmed that his government would prioritise community rights, agricultural productivity, and cooperative empowerment to ensure every Ugandan farmer has money in their pocket.
The FDC presidential candidate urged residents of Bukwo to stand firm and rally others, reminding them that real change begins when every citizen becomes an ambassador for a better future.
