The Government has pledged to compensate West Nile tobacco farmers with 9.7 billion Shillings after Continental Tobacco Company failed to pay them in full.
The farmers, organized under the West Nile Cooperative Union, sold tobacco worth 12 billion Shillings to the company in the 2018/2019 financial year but only received 2.4 billion Shillings, leaving a significant balance unpaid.
Since 2018, over 1,500 tobacco farmers from West Nile districts, including Arua, Maracha, Terego, Yumbe, and Koboko, have been demanding their dues without success.
Recently, over 200 aggrieved farmers attempted to protest at a Uganda Revenue Authority meeting in Arua City, attended by Minister of State for Finance Planning and Economic Development, Henry Musasizi.
Musasizi apologized for the delay in payment, which was initially scheduled for the 2023/2024 financial year. He assured the farmers that compensation would be included in the 2024/2025 budget.
However, Christopher Adia, Chairperson of the West Nile Cooperative Union, criticized the government for repeatedly delaying payment, leading many farmers into poverty. He lamented that some farmers have passed away without receiving their dues.
In October, the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development requested supplementary funds of 10 billion Shillings for compensation, but the money has yet to be disbursed. The delay has left many farmers frustrated and struggling to make ends meet.
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