President Museveni has on Monday donated shs100 million to six ghetto youths in Kamwokya, Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine.
Museveni was represented by Col. Shaban Bantariza, who is the deputy director of the Uganda Media Centre and also the deputy government spokesperson.
Speaking at the function held at the Passover Harvest Church in Kamwokya, Bantariza said the money was financial support to the youth through their Saccos for members to borrow and fight unemployment.
“Members can borrow the money from their Saccos, inject in their businesses and take off because there have been difficulty for many people to raise startup capital,”Batanriza said.
“Those with businesses through their leaders talked to the president and he has responded with support.”
The deputy government spokesperson said more money would be coming to the youth groups adding that the money is not refundable to the state.
Asked why the president had chosen giving out cash to youths, Bantariza said that is what he chose to do because it is convenient to the recipients
“Not all the social strata are equally needy to the same amount of money. Someone wants shs100,000 to pay for her tomatoes and cannot be subjected to the same conditions as one who can afford to go to the bank,”Bantariza explained.
“They have seen and received the money in the face of everybody and no one can claim they didn’t receive the money.”
Kamwokya is known as Bobi Wine’s base where he spent most of his hey days and consequently he was nicknamed the ‘ghetto president’ in reference to his attachment to the area.
The act by President Museveni is seen by many as one intended to lure youths to turn away from the Kyadondo East legislator.
Asked whether the money was meant to counter Bobi Wine in the area, the deputy government spokesperson said he is trying to improve all ghettos.
“It is not about Bobi Wine but the needy people in every location. Why not now? It could be yesterday, tomorrow or any other day.”
The six ghetto youth groups included Kamwokya Youth Development Group, Kamwokya New Taxi Drivers’ Association, Kamwokya Twezimbe Women’s Group, Kamwokya Washing Bay Youth Development Group, Twegatte Development Group and Kamwokya Youth Boda Boda Group.
A few weeks ago, Museveni commissioned a number of common user facilities in Kampala and Wakiso districts as part of his efforts to fight poverty and offer skills to youths.
He would later pump money into more than 20 youth projects in various towns through their own Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (Saccos).
“We should no longer be poor neither should we have unemployment but because Ugandans are sleeping, these are still challenges,”Museveni said before urging the youths to start small projects that he said would in turn become big and employ many people as well as helping them fight poverty.
“Also, support leaders who will ensure your problems are attended to, not those pre-occupied with opposing government programmes,”he added.
However, a number of people have since come out to lash at Museveni for giving out the money to various youth groups saying he is panicking and yielding to pressure by Bobi Wine’s people power group.
Last week, Members of Parliament led by Rubaga North’s Moses Kasibante expressed concern over the manner in which the president is dishing out cash to youth in their areas of representation without their consent.
“None of the Members of Parliament in Kampala was invited in these activities,”Kasibante said.
They said the source of money should be explained to parliament.
However, when asked whether Museveni was dishing out money to the youth in Kampala due to Bobi Wine pressure, Kampala Minister Kamya said she was shocked that instead of thanking government for such a fruitful initiative, the legislators were questioning his good will.