Leaders of the Federation of Uganda Traders’ Associations (FUTA), led by John Kabanda, have called on traders across the country to attend President Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony scheduled for tomorrow at Kololo Independence Grounds.
Speaking during a press conference at FUTA offices in Kampala, the leaders said traders are expected to travel in large numbers to witness the President take the oath of office, with preparations already underway for mobilisation.
The leadership indicated that some traders would begin travelling as early as midnight to ensure timely arrival at the venue for the national event.
Kabanda said the federation made a deliberate decision to support and mobilise for President Museveni, citing confidence in his leadership.
“We made a deliberate decision to mobilize support for President Museveni openly because we believe in his leadership,” Kabanda said.
However, Kabanda also raised concerns over the management of funds intended to support traders affected by recent floods, claiming there has been confusion in the distribution of the Shs20 billion reportedly allocated for relief.
“There has been a lot of confusion surrounding the distribution of the Shs20 billion meant to support traders affected by floods,” he alleged.
He further accused officials of compiling beneficiary lists in a way that excluded many small-scale traders who were directly affected by the disaster.
“The lists of beneficiaries were compiled unfairly, and many genuine small traders were excluded,” Kabanda added.
The FUTA leadership, joined by other traders’ representatives, vowed to continue pushing for accountability and full disbursement of the funds to the intended beneficiaries.
“We shall continue pushing until the money is released to the intended beneficiaries,” they said.
Despite the concerns raised, the federation maintained its call for traders to participate in the swearing-in ceremony, describing it as an important national event for the business community and the country at large.
