SACCOs ask gov’t to expedite release of emyooga funds

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations- SACCOs have raised concern about the delay to release funds under the emyooga program.

More than 356 SACCOs were registered in Kampala to benefit from the 26 Billion Shillings.

By February 12th, the government had disbursed over 4.240 billion Shillings to 190 SACCOs in Kampala but they are yet to access the funds. This has not gone well with SACCO members who are now wondering if the program was a campaign gimmick.

In Nakawa market, over 450 vendors formed in 15 groups registered the Nakawa market non-food vendors SACCO and opened a joint account in Centenary bank.

Gerald Ssekikubo, the head of the SACCO says that they are running impatient and some vendors have started accusing leaders of embezzlement. He says that KCCA and officials from the Micro Finance Support Center have not explained to them the cause of the delay.

Yunus Ssebuggwawo, a taxi driver at Nakawa market says they formed a group with 20 members and later joined with other groups of taxi operators to register a SACCO.

Ssebuggwawo says they got saving books from the Microfinance Support Center. However to their dismay, they were asked to save first before accessing the money which members rejected.

Ssebuggwawo says if the government cannot deliver on emyooga, it should just buy them vans.

Asiya Babirye, a vendor at Kalerwe market says they formed two groups each with 30 members and registered for emyooga. Kalerwe market is an amalgamation of 13 markets from which three SACCOs were formed, Kalerwe market A, B and C emyooga SACCOs.

Five markets, Akawata Empola, Modern, Ddembe, Freedom and Bivamuntuyo were merged to make the Kalerwe market A emyooga SACCO.

Babirye says since their registration in November 2020, they have not received the money yet still groups from Modern market where she belongs have not received certificates from KCCA confirming them as groups under the SACCOs. She is also worried even when the money finally comes, they might not get a share of it.

Justine Namataa, the vice-chairperson of Kalerwe market A emyooga SACCO says the money already reached their account more than a month back but KCCA officials told them they would only access it after they had been trained on how to put the funds to use.

Haruna Ntambazi, the coordinator of emyooga in Nakasero market also says they have not received money despite registering their four SACCOs.

The Deputy Director Gender and Community Services ‎KCCA, Josephine Lubwama says the money isn’t accessible until a SACCO has received a certificate of registration from the Ministry of Trade.

She attributes the delay to load of work at the Ministry of Trade which is receiving applications from across the country. She is hopeful that by the end of this week, certificates will be issued out.

The estimated nationwide budget for the emyooga programme 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, waiters and waitresses and gym instructors among others.

*****

URN