Over 300 Primary Growers Cooperative Societies own the Bugisu Cooperative Union Limited (BCU).
Each Primary Society keeps a register of its fully paid members, who elect a committee that manages its affairs.
Two BCU Annual General Meeting (AGM) delegates represent each primary Society. In addition to other
functions, the BCU Annual General Meeting (AGM) elects Nine Board Members who appoint and
supervise the management team.
In 1933, the Bugisu Coffee Board was set up to ensure that coffee growers in Bugisu could own and operate their own entity. The Board built a healthy financial position for the scheme and fostered the growth of cooperatives in Uganda.
In July 1954, four local unions in Buyaga, Nampanga, Busamaga, and Bubulo formed one central union, the Bugisu Co-operative Union Limited, and the Bugisu Coffee Ordinance was enacted in 1955 to cover marketing functions from the Bugisu Coffee Scheme.
BCU Ltd is situated on Plot 46 Pallisa Road in Mbale Town in Bugisu Sub-region in Eastern Uganda, East Africa. It is 256 kilometres (160 miles) from Kampala, the capital city. Bugisu is found on the slopes of Mt. Elgon.