HOIMA, January 22, 2024 – Local Council One [LCI] chairpersons in Hoima City have appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to help them acquire two tractors promised to them by the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF] last year.
According to Muhammad Kiyimba, the Chairman of Hoima City Local Council One Chairpersons’ SACCO, launched recently, tractors will help the SACCO members engage in large-scale farming.
Kiyimba noted that his SACCO with over 120 members last year petitioned MAAIF for tractors, but they have received no response up-to-date.
He said SACCO members are engaged in the production of maize, beans and coffee, and running enterprises like poultry, piggery and livestock. He said they are currently using hoes to farm, which he said, is not cost-effective.
He said SACCO members have so far saved over Shs 40 million but it is not enough to fund all their activities.
“Mr. President, we remind you about the two tractors which we requested from you through the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of which we have never got any response,” he said.
Kiyimba also appealed to the Microfinance Support Centre [MSC], whose Chairman is Emmanuel Aliba Kiiza, to support them with office equipment such as a computer, scanner and printer, as well as furniture.
However, Museveni’s brother, Shadrach Nzeire Kaguta, while speaking at the official launch of the SACCO said the Ministry of Agriculture had secured a tractors for the SACCO, which he said would be delivered soon.
“I communicated to Minister Rwamirama and he informed me they have secured two tractors, one of the former Second Deputy Prime Minister Henry Muganwa Kajura and his family, and another is for the LCI One Chairpersons’ SACCO for Hoima City and soon these tractors will be delivered,” Nzeire said.
He challenged the village chairmen to take advantage of government projects such as Emyooga, Parish Development Model [PDM] to improve their SACCO financially so that it can support members engaged in commercial production.
On his part, MSC Chairman Aliba Kiiza commended the village chairmen for forming a SACCO to improve their household incomes, promising that MSC would help in training of the members and executive committee on the issues of financial management, record keeping and saving among others.
He also promised to offer the SACCO with a computer, scanner and printer as requested earlier, adding that the SACCO will play an important role as members fight poverty in their households.
Dr. Lawrence Bategeka, the former Hoima Municipality Member of Parliament urged SACCO members to embrace a saving culture but also pay back the loans taken from the SACCO.
He said that the poor saving culture and poor loan repayments are some of the factors responsible for the poor performance of SACCOs in Bunyoro Sub-region and the country at large.
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