BUSHENYI — Former Bushenyi District LCV Chairperson Wills Bashasha has come under renewed scrutiny as the leadership dispute at Igara Growers Tea Factory Ltd continues, with farmers, workers and suppliers increasingly concerned about the prolonged crisis and the future of the factory.
Bashasha’s involvement in the Igara leadership contest dates back to September 2025, when he contested for the position of Board Chairperson representing Bitereko Zone. He lost the election and signed the declaration of results, accepting the outcome. However, his involvement in the factory’s leadership affairs did not end there, as he later became associated with a group led by Ronald Rwankangi, a shareholder from Nyakashaka Zone in Buhweju District.
The dispute involving Rwankangi has centred on questions surrounding eligibility to serve on the factory’s board. The company’s governance requirements provide that a prospective director must have supplied at least 10,000 kilograms of green leaf in each of the three consecutive years preceding the year of election. Rwankangi’s suspension from the board was challenged through the courts, with the matter reaching the High Court in Bushenyi.
The continuing involvement of Bashasha and his associates has since become part of a wider struggle over the governance and direction of Igara Growers Tea Factory. Critics of the group have accused it of using court proceedings, correspondence to different institutions and other actions to challenge the sitting management. Such allegations remain contested and should be determined through the appropriate legal and governance processes.
Meanwhile, the consequences of the prolonged dispute are increasingly being felt by ordinary tea farmers. Igara Growers Tea Factory has reportedly remained closed for about three months, while farmers continue to face uncertainty over payments for green leaf supplied. Workers have outstanding salary claims, while suppliers of fertiliser, firewood and other essential inputs are also waiting for payment.
The crisis comes at a difficult time for Uganda’s tea industry, which has faced significant financial pressure following disruptions to international markets, including the effects associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. The resulting pressure on tea prices and factory finances has affected several players across the sector, making stability and effective management particularly important for distressed factories such as Igara.
Government efforts to support distressed tea factories have raised hopes among farmers and other stakeholders that outstanding obligations can eventually be addressed. However, some elders and stakeholders in Greater Bushenyi have raised concerns over actions they attribute to the Bashasha-Rwankangi camp, alleging that these actions have complicated efforts to secure financing for Igara. Those claims remain matters of dispute and should be assessed on the basis of evidence.
The legal process has also continued to shape the future of the factory. The High Court in Bushenyi directed that URSB provide assistance to the respondent management of Igara Growers Tea Factory in conducting fresh elections of directors in accordance with the Articles and Memorandum of Association of Igara GTF and other relevant laws. The directive places the company’s governance process within the framework of its governing documents and applicable law.
URSB subsequently issued a roadmap for the fresh elections, but disagreements have reportedly continued over the proposed process and the management of the factory. For Bashasha, whose involvement in the leadership struggle has kept him at the centre of the controversy, the developments have placed renewed attention on his role in the ongoing dispute and the direction the factory should take.
At the centre of the crisis, however, are the tea farmers. They supplied the green leaf, workers operated the factory and suppliers provided essential inputs. What they urgently need is a functioning factory, settlement of outstanding obligations and a transparent and lawful election of directors. As the dispute involving Bashasha, Rwankangi and other stakeholders continues through the courts and the company’s governance mechanisms, the central question remains: how long can Igara Growers Tea Factory remain caught in a leadership crisis while the farmers who depend on it continue to bear the cost?
