The government has challenged Emyooga recipients in Kampala to account for cash allocated to their local SACCOS in 2019.

The request was made during a meeting of SACCOS leaders and government officials on August 17, 2023, at Kitante Primary School. The meeting examined how beneficiaries should proceed after receiving the monies.

Taxi drivers, carpenters, women entrepreneurs, bodaboda riders, individuals with disabilities, youth, and journalists are among the beneficiaries.

According to Kampala Resident City Commissioner Aminah Lukanga, most SACCOS have failed to give a report to the government on how the money was spent, saying that the borrowed members have failed to repay.

She warned that this would cause a delay in accessing additional cash set aside for distribution and encouraged them to seek help if members defaulted.

“While a few of you are doing well in developing your constituencies with these funds, I assure you that the additional 20 million shillings will be given only to those who qualify.” So, start holding people accountable, and you’ll be OK,” Lukanga said.

The failure of accountability, according to William Kirunda, zonal manager of the Microfinance Support Centre Kampala, is attributable to the prevalent perception among individuals that the money was free.

As a result, he advocated for increased public awareness of the Emyooga program’s operational methods and benefits in order to minimize such obstacles.

“Sensitisation will improve the performance of the respective SACCOS, which means more profits and thus achieving the development goal,” Kirunda explained.

So date, 553 Emyooga SACCOS have received a total of shillings 16 billion in revolving funds through the Emyooga scheme, allowing recipients to access inexpensive finance for development.

Emyooga is a presidential wealth and employment development project that was launched in August 2019 as part of the government’s aim to transition 68% of homesteads from subsistence to market-oriented agriculture.