Ankole, Kigezi leaders urged to strengthen oversight of GROW project
RUKUNGIRI, October 13, 2026 — District leaders in the Ankole and Kigezi sub-regions have been urged to strengthen their involvement in the implementation and monitoring of government programmes supporting women entrepreneurs.
The call was made during an orientation meeting held recently at Riverside Hotel in Rukungiri Municipality, Rukungiri district, bringing together Resident District Commissioners [RDCs], Chief Administrative Officers [CAOs], Town Clerks, commercial officers and other local government leaders to discuss the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises [GROW] project.
The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Henry Tumukunde, challenged local government leaders to take greater responsibility for monitoring government programmes and ensuring that intended beneficiaries receive the support allocated to them.
Tumukunde questioned the visibility of GROW project beneficiaries in Rukungiri district, saying about Shs 2.6 billion had been allocated to the district but that the impact of the programme on the ground was difficult to establish when compared with official records.
“You have a responsibility to monitor these programmes and establish whether the people who are supposed to benefit are actually benefiting. You should not wait for ministers to come and identify the gaps for you,” Tumukunde said.
He urged RDCs, LCV chairpersons, mayors, town clerks and CAOs to identify implementation gaps and address challenges affecting communities.
“Your role is not simply to receive information about government programmes. You must follow up, identify where things are going wrong and ensure that the intended beneficiaries are reached,” he said.
Tumukunde said similar concerns applied to other government initiatives, including the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme [UWEP], stressing the need for stronger oversight and accountability.
Rukungiri RDC Broni Kikanshemeza also raised concerns about the implementation of the GROW project, saying he had not interacted with the project’s focal persons or beneficiaries in the district.
“I have not interfaced with the GROW project Focal Persons or beneficiaries here, and that raises questions about how the programme is being implemented and communicated at the district level,” Kikanshemeza said.
He also questioned the criteria used to select beneficiaries, saying district leaders needed clearer information about the process.
“Without clear communication, it becomes difficult for us as local leaders to mobilise communities, guide potential beneficiaries and follow up on the implementation of the programme,” Kikanshemeza said.
The concerns highlighted the need for greater involvement of local authorities in project implementation, particularly in community mobilisation, beneficiary identification and monitoring.
John Ssengendo, the GROW Project Coordinator at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development [MGLSD], said the ministry had deliberately chosen to first orient local government leaders so they could understand the project and its objectives.
“We thought it was important to first engage local government leaders and equip them with information about the project so that they can take this information to women entrepreneurs in their respective areas,” Ssengendo said.
He said the leaders would play a key role in community mobilisation and helping prospective applicants understand the application process.
Ssengendo emphasised that applications for support under the project are free of charge and warned women against individuals demanding money in exchange for assistance with applications or access to funding.
“The application is free. No woman should pay anyone to apply for support under the GROW Project,” he said.
Ssengendo also revealed that the project was preparing to launch a business plan competition grant targeting an estimated 2,626 women entrepreneurs across the country, with grants ranging from Shs 3.5 million to Shs 107mln.
He said the competition would give women entrepreneurs an opportunity to seek financial support to expand their businesses, with applications submitted online to promote transparency and improve the traceability of applicants’ information.
“The online application system is intended to improve transparency, make it easier to trace applicants’ information and ensure that eligible women have an equal opportunity to compete,” Ssengendo said.
According to Ssengendo, the project initially considered supporting businesses seeking grants of up to Shs 37mln but later lowered the minimum grant threshold to Shs 3.5mln to accommodate micro and small-scale women entrepreneurs.
He said the adjustment was intended to enable women operating smaller businesses, including those with annual turnovers of about Shs 10mln, to participate in the competition.
Ssengendo also said the project had recovered all the funds it had disbursed to beneficiaries.
The GROW project is a US$ 217mln government initiative supported by the World Bank and implemented by MGLSD in partnership with the Private Sector Foundation Uganda. It seeks to improve women’s access to entrepreneurial services and finance, enabling their businesses to grow from micro to small enterprises and from small to medium-sized businesses.
The Rukungiri orientation is intended to strengthen local government leaders’ understanding of the project and their role in mobilising women entrepreneurs to access available services and funding opportunities.
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