PM Nabbanja orders arrest of defaulters of youth and women funds
KIKUUBE, April 29, 2024 – Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has ordered security authorities in Kikuube district to recover the money disbursed to women and youth groups, adding that defaulters be arrested.
Nabbanja noted she had obtained information that most of the women and youth who got money under the Youth Livelihood Programme [YLP], and Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme [UWEP], respectively had faulted on the money.
YLP is a Government of Uganda financed programme designed as one of the interventions of government in response to the high unemployment rate and poverty among the youth in the country.
On the other hand, YLP is an initiative of the Government of Uganda that is aimed at improving access to financial services for women and equipping them with skills for enterprise growth, value addition and marketing of their products and services.
Kikuube district women groups received Shs 700 million and the youth groups also received over Shs 700mln in the financial year 2019/ 2020 but this money has not been recovered.
Nabbanja noted that this money is a revolving fund and ordered that the beneficiaries be forced to pay back or be arrested.
She made the remarks days ago during the celebration of the belated International Women’s Day celebrations for Kikuube district organised by Kikuube district Women Council and Woman Member of Parliament, Florence Natumanya and held at Rwemisanga Primary School in Kyangwali Sub-county in Kikuube district.
She expressed concern that the government has initiated several programmes including the Parish Development Model [PDM] to help people move out of poverty but because of poor management, most programmes are not creating the intended impact.
The Prime Minister challenged the people in Bunyoro Sub-region, especially women to join the war of fighting poverty through engaging in production and value addition.
She advised the locals to embrace a four acre model type of farming which encourages diversification, with one acre dedicated to coffee cultivation, another to fruit trees, the third to staple crops for household consumption, and the fourth to pasture for livestock.
MP Natumanya who was the host of the women’s event underscored the need to empower women so that they manage their businesses better.
However she said women face the challenge of managing their businesses and at the same time running their families, which she said sometimes make men to stop their wives from working.
She called for the mobilisation of women Kikuube district so that they benefit from the local oil and gas sector by supplying food.
On his part, Peter Banura, the Kikuube district LCV Chairman, challenged men to support their wives to engage in development activities.
He commended the government for initiating women empowerment programmes, particularly those programmes aimed at boosting the financial status of Ugandan women.
https://thecooperator.news/gulu-uwep-group-under-investigation-over-10-8mln-fraud/
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