President Yoweri Museveni has promised to establish adedicated revolving fund for residents neighbouring Mbale State Lodge,saying the government is committed to ensuring every homestead in Busamaga Parish benefits from wealth-creation programmes under astructured SACCO system.
Meeting the association of neighbours at Busamaga Parish in Mbale City today, President Museveni thanked them for organising themselves and inviting him for a direct dialogue.
He stressed that the government’s priority is to reach every homestead with enterprise financing, starting with the Parish Development Model (PDM), which he described as a pilot phase that will now be expanded.
“The first issue is to get figures—how many homesteads are here,” he said.
“What we normally do is reach each homestead but in stages. That is what we are doing with PDM. That’s why we send UGX 100 million each year.
The President explained that with 1,000 homesteads in the parish, the current allocation of UGX 100 million per year translates into UGX 500 million over five years, which would benefit about 800 homesteads depending on the amount taken per family.
“Those who took it will have brought it back, and by the end of the five years we shall have reached about 800 homesteads,” he said.
He confirmed that the government intends to increase the capital so the revolving fund can cover all households.
President Museveni emphasised that the key requirement is collective organisation through genuine SACCOs.
He cautioned against the misuse of SACCO funds, especially as seen in Kampala where leaders monopolise the money.
“You must all be members of a SACCO. If you got one million shillings,after two years you pay back UGX 1.2 million. It is free money really, but it should rotate.”
The President outlined three areas of support: improving local roads,individual credit through the revolving fund, and group projects. He said assets such as taxis, tents for events and public address systems must be collectively owned by the association. He promised to send the State House Comptroller to verify legitimate members and oversee the delivery of the seed capital.
Speaking on behalf of the Mbale State Lodge Neighbours Association,Mr. Musoba Stephen, the group spokesperson, said their mission is to build a self-reliant youth community.
He thanked the President for his consistent efforts to transform peasant households into a modern society and praised programmes like Emyooga, PDM and NAADS for uplifting household incomes.
Mr. Musoba said the youth are seeking financial support to strengthen both individual and group businesses. He also appealed for improved road infrastructure and requested assistance for assets such as taxis, boda bodas, dairy cattle, ovens, and the procurement of a permanent home for their association. He noted that as neighbours to the State
Lodge, “we are the closest when anything happens.”
