President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has taken a swipe at Kimanya-Kabonera MP Abed Bwanika for opposing the government’s plan to merge several agencies under the Rationalization of Government Agencies and Public Expenditure (RAPEX) initiative.

In a heated caucus meeting with National Resistance Movement (NRM) MPs, Museveni accused Bwanika of using the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) for political gain, claiming the MP is more concerned with his own interests than the welfare of the country.

“You’ve all heard Abed Bwanika. He wants to take the coffee from UCDA and give it to his supporters to further his political agenda. This is selfish and not in the best interest of the country,” Museveni said, accusing the opposition MP of standing in the way of efforts to streamline government operations.

Bwanika, a member of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), had been vocal about keeping UCDA independent, arguing that the fast-growing coffee sector would suffer if placed under the Ministry of Agriculture.

He claimed the ministry is plagued with inefficiency and corruption, making it unfit to manage the industry. However, Museveni dismissed these concerns, urging the MPs to support the agency’s merger into its parent ministry.

Despite Bwanika’s objections, the MPs overwhelmingly supported RAPEX, which will see 16 government agencies merged to cut down on redundancy and improve efficiency. Only UCDA and the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) were given a three-year transition period to complete their integration.

Museveni emphasized that the rationalization process is necessary to reduce government spending, with projections estimating a savings of over UGX 1 trillion annually.

He criticized MPs like Bwanika for opposing these reforms, insisting that the mergers will help create a more efficient and cost-effective government.