The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has disbursed 4.240 billion Shillings to 140 Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations-SACCOs in Kampala as part of the Emyooga initiative.
The initiative is aimed at creating jobs and improving household incomes for 68 percent of Ugandans in the boda boda industry, taxi drivers, restaurant owners, welders, market vendors, women entrepreneurs, youth, people with disabilities, journalists, performing artistes, veterans, fishermen and elected leaders.
Under the programme, beneficiaries up to 30 in number form associations, and the associations in turn form SACCOS each of which receives 30 million Shillings. According to the State Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs Benny Namugwanya, 333 SACCOs have been formed in Kampala out of the target 800. She was addressing journalists at Uganda Media Centre in Kampala today.
Namugwanya says that KCCA registered 47 SACCOs in Makindye division, 43 in Kawempe, 173 in the central division, 39 in Lubaga and 31 in Nakawa. She says that the government has sent 730 million Shillings to 23 SACCOs in Makindye and 730 million Shillings to 23 SACCOs in Kawempe division.
Government has further sent 570 million Shillings to 19 SACCOs in Lubaga division and another 570 million Shillings to 19 SACCOs in Nakawa. In central division, 1.64 billion Shillings has been sent to accounts of 56 SACCOs.
However, the money is still in banks and not yet accessible to the SACCOs. Josephine Lubwama, the Deputy Director of Gender and Community Services at KCCA confirmed that no SACCOs have accessed the money saying they would have to complete registration with the Ministry of Trade and get a certificate before they can be granted access.
The estimated nationwide budget for this initiative was 260 billion Shillings. Of this, Kampala and Wakiso districts were allocated 26 billion and 14 billion Shillings respectively. An additional 10 billion Shillings is earmarked to support groups that do not fall in the original Emyooga categories like visual artists, herbalists, gym trainers, waiters and waitresses, cobblers, and bar attendants among others.
In the case of Wakiso district, Namugwanya says 333 SACCOs have been formed out of the intended 486. Details of the SACCOs have already been submitted to the Microfinance Support Centre which is charged with sending the money.
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We have heard that government has earmarked 10 billion for categories like cobblers , visual artists , herbalists and bar attendants , etc that were not considered in the earlier case . Please we are asking government to consider one for pensioners since we are as zealous as veterans and Persons with Disabilities in uplifting our welfare . We still can do something within our spheres .
This is a special group that should be empowered and I would like to assure you that we have the experience needed to sustain our SACCOS if supported .
Thanking you ,
BAWALANE KASSIM .Rtd Senior Accounts Officer , bksmalkfund2014@gmail.com