By Yikpamungu Teddy Kakura 

ZOMBO: The Zombo District Farmers Association (ZODFA) elected new leaders on Friday, 18 September 2026, at the Zombo District headquarters. 

Members who attended participated in the elections, marking a pivotal transition after a long period of unchanged leadership.

Opyem Jared was elected chairperson, with Phillip Rwothomio as vice chairperson, Cibi Gilbert as secretary and Anirwoth Manuela as treasurer. They will work alongside other sub-committees.

Outgoing chairperson Mario Munguacel urged the new leaders to exhibit good leadership and carefully manage the association’s assets acquired over the years, including irrigation facilities. 

“To you the new leaders, ensure that you take good care of the properties that the organization has acquired over the years,” Munguacel said.

Established in 2010, ZODFA is a farmer-owned, non-governmental membership organisation with over 11,000 registered members. It works to support and empower smallholder farmers in Zombo District by promoting sustainable agriculture and strengthening the farming community.

Assistant Resident District Commissioner Bruno Manano appreciated outgoing chairperson Mario Munguacel for his efforts in uplifting ZODFA. 

“I like the way farmers cooperate in ZODFA and advise farmers that not all must be well but the small hard times we go through strengthens us as farmers to make sure we follow the right path,” Manano said.

He cautioned the association to exercise care when dealing with auditors, noting that they sometimes exhibit poor ethics, and urged leaders to maintain transparency in public duties. 

Manano added that outgoing leaders had fulfilled their roles and that both central and local government would continue supporting farmers to drive greater development in the district. 

“If we compare ZODFA from the time it started up to date, there is a lot of development; for the persons who say ZODFA is not developing, I want to tell you that you are the one who is not developing.” he said.

Dr. Dick Nuwamanya Kamuganga, president of the Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE) and primary voice for smallholder and commercial farmers, described ZODFA as one of the active district farmers’ associations in West Nile and the country.

He congratulated the leaders and farmers on their developmental efforts and thanked members for entrusting the new leadership with responsibility.

Kamuganga urged continuous local government support for farmers as the link to the central government. He noted it was his first time presiding over a general assembly in West Nile and acknowledged ZODFA’s contributions in keeping the association firmly afloat. 

He also commended political leaders and partners, including Trias East Africa and Nyaravur Farmers SACCO, for their engagement with the local government, describing it as a positive indicator of partnership among District Farmers Associations, ZODFA and local authorities.

Ephraim Kumakech, Principal Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, urged the new ZODFA executives to follow the example of the outgoing team and work tirelessly for the public. He emphasised that coffee remains a key crop in Zombo District and that the association should recognise its significance to the district and other parts of Uganda.

ZODFA was officially registered with the Zombo District Local Government more than a decade ago  and later with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) in 2016. It was established to address critical bottlenecks facing local smallholders, including lack of leadership, unorganised agricultural markets and shortage of technical farming guidance.

In Uganda, where agriculture accounts for over 70 percent of the country’s GDP, organising farmers into associations, groups or cooperatives is a core strategy for transitioning rural communities from subsistence farming to commercial wealth creation. 

Over the years, ZODFA’s farmer-led initiatives have prioritised organised farmer groups for government projects, facilitating planning, monitoring and distribution of aid. 

Through its programmes, registered member farmers have accessed hybrid seeds, fertilisers and tools, leading to improved agricultural outcomes.

Dr. Dick Nuwamanya Kamuganga, president of the Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE

Yikpa-Mungu Teddy Kakura is news reporter at Zoomer Africa, your number one grassroot infomation hub for African news, trends and updates, Stay Informed and updated!