Perhaps my life and sole existence is intertwined with coffee. In 1967, the construction of the coffee factory at Kyambura, where the current Kyambura Gorge Lodge sits, commenced.
My now 81-year-old dad, a 24-year-old young man then was a pioneer employee as ‘Scale man.’
The transformation of various households is partly attributed to ‘Ekyooma kya Parapara!”
Growing up, partly in Omumashaka and grazing my father’s goats at Kyambura River in the 80’s, I witnessed the removal of coffee husks from the coffee berries. Every midmorning, the pulping went on and made the sound of ‘para para para para para para para’ as black smoke bellowed the Kiboodi and Kyenkobe area. Actually, para para is derived from coffee pulping or removal of the skin off the coffee bean/cherry.
My dad owned a Philips radio and a Phoenix double rod bicycle because he grew coffee in Kagando as he too worked at the pulpery (Parapara).
I also learnt to drink coffee because dad always had; “Kaawa Nguvu” sachets for his mid-morning drink, from which, I loved to clear his table so that I can drink some of the dregs. Even when my mothers prepared black tea for him, he would sprinkle some coffee powder of “Kaawa Nguvu’ in his cup.
My personal story of this coffee factory and coffee in general in Bunyaruguru must be resonating to many individuals. I cannot for certain say that I went to school because of coffee. He had moved to cotton growing in Omumahiika – Kyenzaza. But many do identify their going to school directly to coffee.
I saw the death of this parapara when an NRA army detach was planted at Kyambura! The vandalisation of this factory started immediately thereafter. Interestingly, the vandals are known and are from within. I cannot with certainty point to anyone. The disempowerment and underdevelopment of Bunyaruguru can be attributed to the death of this ‘parapara’ at Kyambura, the war that came with ‘siriimu’ that claimed a good number of businessmen and well-meaning Banyaruguru, death of the fisheries and hotels at Balyanika among others.
Coffee was beginning to make Bunyaruguru/Rubirizi pick itself up again…..Will Rationalisation keep it up? My question is, how can coffee farmers all be so wrong and just a handful of non-coffee farmers be so right? The poor are easy to rule! (That rusting metal was the pulping pipe currently kept as a relic at Kyambura Gorge Lodge).
I feel for my friend Hon. Frank Tumwebaze. He had so far been lucky to be the Agriculture Minister that had not brought an ‘anti-people’ policy. This coffee/UCDA thing has now become the soiled grass for him! I love his silence though because the boss has made it ‘his war.’
The other forgettable Minister was Tress Buncanayandi who left the Ministry without being soiled or without bringing an ‘anti people’ policy. Sweetly, I have a picture of Hon. Bucana holding and giving away a coffee seedling.
Aggrey is a retired journalist; anshekanabo@gmail.com
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