agriculture 20 June 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Solar Irrigation Fuels Agri-Business Boom in Nakaseke
A Ugandan farmer has transformed his struggling coffee farm into a thriving Shs20 million agribusiness using a solar-powered irrigation system. The innovation has not only boosted crop yields but also enabled diversification into livestock and provided community benefits. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/farming/solar-miracle-how-one-farmer-turned-dry-land-into-a-shs20m-agribusiness-5503204
In Kakinzi Village, Nakaseke District, a remarkable agricultural transformation is underway on what was once arid land. Businessman Mushin Nsubuga has turned his five-hectare coffee farm, which previously yielded only two tonnes per harvest and struggled with unreliable water sources, into a flourishing enterprise.
The turning point came in 2024 after Nsubuga encountered Sprinktech at an agricultural expo in Kampala. The company designed and installed a custom solar-powered irrigation system, utilizing underground water reserves. Solar panels now power a submersible pump, feeding water into reservoirs and distributing it precisely to coffee plants via a drip network.
Financial hurdles were overcome through a Results-Based Financing (RBF) program involving Equity Bank Uganda, Energising Development (EnDev) Uganda, and GIZ. This initiative makes high-quality solar solutions more accessible to farmers.
Within a year, Nsubuga’s farm has doubled in size to 10 hectares, and coffee production has increased fivefold to 10 tonnes every six months, leading to annual revenues of Shs20 million. With water no longer a constraint, he has introduced goat and poultry farming and plans to expand into piggery and layer chicken production.
The impact extends beyond Nsubuga’s farm. Clean water from the system is now shared with neighboring households, reducing the burden of fetching water and improving health. The farm also creates local employment, particularly during peak seasons. Inspired by this success, other residents are adopting coffee farming, making Kakinzi an emerging agricultural hub.
This initiative, supported by Equity Bank’s Equi-Green loans, is part of a broader movement towards climate-resilient rural development in Uganda, with over 44,000 households and 500 SMEs already benefiting from renewable energy technologies.