Museveni commends Emyooga SACCO success in Nakawa, ledges continued support

KAMPALA, July 22, 2025 — President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday met with beneficiaries of the Emyooga programme in Butabika and Mutungo, located in Kampala’s Nakawa Division.

Museveni’s visit to the area highlighted the tangible progress and impact of the government-backed initiative, which aims to improve household incomes through job creation and skills development.

Accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, the President expressed satisfaction with the growth and performance of the Emyooga Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations [Emyooga SACCOs] in the area, noting that many groups are beginning to thrive.

Museveni emphasised that the pathway to prosperity lies in wealth creation, particularly in commercial agriculture, artisanal trades such as carpentry, welding, plumbing, and service-based enterprises including tailoring, salon work, catering, and boda boda transport.

“I’m happy to see that you have chosen to start small, even a baby begins by crawling,” Museveni remarked, underlining the importance of patience and persistence in building sustainable enterprises.

He commended the group members for gradually embracing the concept of self-empowerment and learning through practice. “Now you have started waking up. You can hear Tuhirirwe asking for more space — yet before she began, she didn’t see the need for it,” he added.

To support the continued growth of their businesses, the Head of State contributed Shs 100 million to the local Emyooga SACCOs and announced that the government has allocated an additional Shs 1.5 billion to support ‘ghetto’ groups in key urban centres including Kampala, Jinja, and Mbale.

Adam Kibuka, Chairperson of Zone 2 SACCO, noted that both the Emyooga and Parish Development Model [PDM] programmes are gaining traction in the area, although challenges such as limited land persist.

Winnie Tuhirirwe, Chairperson of the Mutungo-Mbuya I Tailoring SACCO, shared success stories of how the group has empowered women and youth by equipping them with skills in tailoring, fashion design, jewelry making, and the use of sewing machinery.

She explained that the SACCO has not only uplifted livelihoods but has also freed members from exploitative moneylenders through access to affordable loans within the cooperative.

“Our lives have changed. People now have skills and can earn a decent living. However, we are constrained by limited space for training and production,” Tuhirirwe said.

She also appealed for additional funding to cater to the growing number of loan applicants and to realise their vision of establishing a tailoring factory for mass production and potential export.

In response, Museveni reassured the members of continued government support, urging them to expand their operations while remaining grounded in the core values of hard work, organisation, and discipline.

On her part, the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Minsa Kabanda commended the performance of several PDM and Emyooga SACCOs across Kampala, noting that many have used the government funds responsibly and impacted their communities positively.

“Your Excellency, I had the honour of presenting to you various SACCO chairpersons, those who have utilised the funds well. These include PDM SACCOs, Emyooga SACCOs, and others who have ensured that the money reached the intended beneficiaries and was put to good use,” Kabanda said.

She further acknowledged the role played by technical officers, including town clerks, in supporting the implementation of these wealth creation initiatives across the city.

Museveni was accompanied on his Kampala tours by distinguished guests including former Vice President Jessica Alupo, former VP Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, alongside Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, and a cross-section of religious and cultural leaders, as well as other dignitaries from across the country.

The Emyooga Programme was launched in August 2019 as part of the broad government strategy targeting to transform 68 percent of homesteads from subsistence to market-oriented production with the overall objective of promoting job creation and improving household incomes.

https://thecooperator.news/emyooga-sacco-to-issue-more-loans-to-members/

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