LIRA CITY, November 17, 2025 — The Members of the Association of Urban Speakers Council of Northern Uganda have been urged to form a Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation [ SACCO ] to improve their financial wellbeing.
The call was made last Thursday by Joan Apio, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner for Lira City West Division, while she presided over the closing of the association’s Annual General Meeting [AGM] at Lira Hotel in Lira City.
Apio said that establishing a SACCO would enable politicians to tap into better opportunities offered by the government and other cooperative stakeholders.
“I want to implore you that since you have formed this association, please open a cooperative or a SACCO, because these days the government or any other partners cannot support individuals. When you are in a group, it becomes very simple to receive support,” Apio said.
She added that President Museveni is always willing to support organised groups financially as part of efforts to combat poverty.
“His Excellency is giving money to SACCOs that have requested financial support. He is giving a lot of money. He wants you, and us to grow; he is fighting poverty left, right and centre. So please register a SACCO and make it formal to benefit,” Apio urged.
She further encouraged members to strengthen cooperation, saying it would help them achieve their goals.
On his part, Moses Hassan Okeng, Chairperson of the association and Deputy Speaker for Lira City East Division, confirmed that the process of registering a SACCO was already underway.
“We are in the process of ensuring that the SACCO is established, but we also have a challenge with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, which is supposed to provide us with the registration documents and clearance,” Okeng noted.
“As leaders, we are aware that everyone in Uganda is speaking one language, wealth creation. So, we, as leaders who serve the people, cannot be poor while serving,” he added, emphasising their determination to operationalise a SACCO for the benefit of members.
Patrick Okwir, the Lira City Council Speaker and Secretary General of the association, stressed the need for collaboration with various development partners to raise funds.
“We are facing a lot of financial challenges. We need to find ways of partnering with our stakeholders and donors, write proposals and submit them. We can only achieve this when we are speaking one language,” Okwir said.
Under Emyooga programme, political leaders’ SACCOs get Shs 50 million as a revolving fund. This money can be increased depending on the performance of the SACCO in terms of capitalisation and loan repayment.
https://thecooperator.news/kween-sacco-leaders-arrested-over-alleged-theft-shs-13mln/
Buy your copy of theCooperator magazine from one of our countrywide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news
-
-
-
-
