Traders operating in Wekembe Market have appealed to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to intervene after alleging that Shs100 million he reportedly gave them in 2016 to support their Savings and Credit Cooperative (Sacco) never reached its intended beneficiaries.
According to the traders, the funds—intended to boost their income-generating activities and improve livelihoods—were announced nearly a decade ago, yet no member of the Wekembe Market Sacco has benefited from the donation.
Farouq Kabyala, one of the market traders, said they were informed that the President had extended financial support to their group, but none of them has received the money.
“We were told the President had given us Shs100 million to strengthen our Sacco, but since then, no one has received even a single shilling. We have continued struggling with no clear answers about where the money went,” Kabyala lamented.
Sarah Nanyondo, a member of the market’s Sacco committee, also raised concerns about irregularities in the handling of the funds, saying the process lacked transparency and accountability.
“There was no accountability at all. We don’t know who handled the funds or how they were used. The traders here continue to live in poverty despite the President’s goodwill,” Nanyondo said.
In response to the traders’ outcry, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, the head of the Office of the NRM National Chairperson (ONC) based at Kyambogo, visited the market to assess the situation firsthand.
During her visit, Hajjat Namyalo acknowledged that there appeared to be “a serious issue” surrounding the missing funds.
She pledged to brief President Museveni about the matter and to ensure that genuine traders in Wekembe Market are not left out of government development programs.
“I will inform the President about this situation. But I urge you to organize yourselves, form a new, properly registered Sacco, and list only genuine traders who actually work here,” she advised.
“Once you do that, we can forward your requests directly to the President for support.”
Hajjat Namyalo also encouraged the traders to remain steadfast in supporting President Museveni, emphasizing his continued commitment to empowering local entrepreneurs and eradicating poverty across the country.
“President Museveni has always championed programs that uplift ordinary Ugandans. Let us stay united, organized, and continue to support his vision for prosperity,” she said.
The traders have since begun mobilizing to form a new Sacco, hoping that this time, the promised government support will reach them transparently and directly.
