The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Sembabule, Faizal Sseruwagi, has announced a crackdown on beneficiaries of the Emyooga programme who borrowed government funds but have failed to repay, warning that no defaulter will be spared.
The warning was issued during a meeting in Lwemiyaga County that brought together Emyooga SACCO leaders, sub-county officials, community development officers and district leaders to assess the performance of the government’s wealth creation programme.
The meeting became tense as SACCO leaders were asked to explain why large amounts of Emyooga funds remain unrecovered despite repeated reminders to beneficiaries.
Some SACCO leaders blamed the poor recovery rates on beneficiaries who allegedly disappeared after receiving the money, while others said some borrowers stopped attending meetings and could no longer be traced.
“Many of the people who borrowed the money have gone into hiding. Some no longer attend SACCO meetings, even when we call them, making it difficult to recover the funds,” SACCO leaders said.
Others said some beneficiaries refuse to repay, arguing that the funds were a government donation.
“Whenever we ask them to pay back, some tell us that President Museveni gave them the money and therefore they have no obligation to return it,” they said.
Speaking at the meeting, RDC Sseruwagi warned that the government would take action against all defaulters, including leaders found responsible for failing to supervise the programme.
“We are going to pursue all those who borrowed Emyooga funds and failed to repay, starting with you leaders. No one will be protected. These are revolving funds meant to benefit many people, not a few individuals,” Sseruwagi said.
He urged beneficiaries to voluntarily repay the funds to allow more community members to benefit from the programme.
“The purpose of Emyooga was to promote a culture of saving and responsible borrowing to improve household incomes. Those who have benefited must repay so that others can also benefit,” he added.
Innocent Arinaitwe, the Emyooga focal person for Greater Masaka, said Lwemiyaga County received Shs570 million under the programme and mobilised an additional Shs116 million in savings.
He said SACCO members in the county have borrowed a total of Shs667 million, but only about Shs66 million has so far been recovered, leaving more than Shs600 million outstanding.
“Lwemiyaga still has a huge balance of unpaid Emyooga funds. We appeal to beneficiaries to repay the money so that government can consider increasing funding to the area,” Arinaitwe said.
Some SACCO leaders attributed the repayment challenges to inadequate sensitisation, saying many beneficiaries did not fully understand the programme requirements before receiving the funds.
Others cited operational challenges, including SACCO accounts being managed outside the area, making monitoring and follow-up difficult.
“We are in Lwemiyaga, but our SACCO account is in Lwengo, making it difficult for the few members who are willing to pay to access the services,” one SACCO leader said.
The government introduced Emyooga as a presidential initiative aimed at supporting organised groups with capital to promote savings, enterprise development and household income generation.