During my days as an athlete, I had the misfortune of being part of a national team managed by a political appointee who knew nothing about athletics. We knew we were in trouble when the team manager innocently asked how many laps a 400-metre race covered.
During my days as an athlete, I had the misfortune of being part of a national team managed by a political appointee who knew nothing about athletics. We knew we were in trouble when the team manager innocently asked how many laps a 400-metre race covered.
Later, he wondered why an 100-metre sprinter had to spend a full hour warming up, yet the race hardly lasted a minute. When several team members developed symptoms of competition fever, he instructed that everyone takes anti-malaria drugs. As expected, our performance was nothing to write home about.
That is usually what happens when you put someone in charge of something they have no idea about. And it is on that note that I would like to congratulate the President for appointing people with rich farming background to manage the agriculture sector.
Tress Buchanayande, the new Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, is one of the country’s leading coffee experts, who has worked for a long time with the Uganda Coffee Development Authority.
Besides being an internationally acclaimed agriculture researcher, Dr. Zerubabel Nyiira, the new Minister of State for Agriculture, has worked as executive secretary of Uganda National Council for Science and Technology. He has had a lot of international exposure as a member of the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology and as regional coordinator for eastern Africa.
Major (Retired) Bright Rwamirama, the state minister for animal industry, has been holding the same portfolio since 2006. The former banker turned soldier holds an MBA which, combined with his rich native knowledge about dairy farming, should be able to make a difference in the agriculture sector.
The new fisheries state minister, Ruth Nankabirwa, is a versatile and hardworking politician who will not shy away from a tough job. She studied fine art. Since she joined politics in 1994, Nankabirwa has served as minister of state for Luwero Triangle, then as state minister for defence, and most recently as state minister for micro finance.
As we congratulate the new ministers on their appointments, we would also like to remind them that farmers expect a lot from them. Besides feeding the nation, agriculture has the capacity to solve many of the problems facing Ugandans today, from unemployment to poverty.
Andrew Ndawula Kalema
Later, he wondered why an 100-metre sprinter had to spend a full hour warming up, yet the race hardly lasted a minute. When several team members developed symptoms of competition fever, he instructed that everyone takes anti-malaria drugs. As expected, our performance was nothing to write home about.
That is usually what happens when you put someone in charge of something they have no idea about. And it is on that note that I would like to congratulate the President for appointing people with rich farming background to manage the agriculture sector.
Tress Buchanayande, the new Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, is one of the country’s leading coffee experts, who has worked for a long time with the Uganda Coffee Development Authority.
Besides being an internationally acclaimed agriculture researcher, Dr. Zerubabel Nyiira, the new Minister of State for Agriculture, has worked as executive secretary of Uganda National Council for Science and Technology. He has had a lot of international exposure as a member of the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology and as regional coordinator for eastern Africa.
Major (Retired) Bright Rwamirama, the state minister for animal industry, has been holding the same portfolio since 2006. The former banker turned soldier holds an MBA which, combined with his rich native knowledge about dairy farming, should be able to make a difference in the agriculture sector.
The new fisheries state minister, Ruth Nankabirwa, is a versatile and hardworking politician who will not shy away from a tough job. She studied fine art. Since she joined politics in 1994, Nankabirwa has served as minister of state for Luwero Triangle, then as state minister for defence, and most recently as state minister for micro finance.
As we congratulate the new ministers on their appointments, we would also like to remind them that farmers expect a lot from them. Besides feeding the nation, agriculture has the capacity to solve many of the problems facing Ugandans today, from unemployment to poverty.
Andrew Ndawula Kalema