Museveni pledges Shs100m to sex workers’ SACCOs in Bugisu
The pledge was made during the Bugisu Youth Symposium held on December 20, 2024, at Mbale Secondary School grounds.
President Yoweri Museveni on Friday pledged Shs100 million to each of the three Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) formed by sex workers in Bugisu subregion.
The funds aim to integrate more Ugandans into the money economy as part of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government’s wealth creation agenda.
The pledge was made during the Bugisu Youth Symposium held on December 20, 2024, at Mbale Secondary School grounds. Responding to a request from Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, the Manager of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), the President emphasized the importance of inclusivity in economic empowerment.
“Do you want the malayas (sex workers) to also have their SACCO? But the question is, do they know each other in the whole of this town? Okay! I have given you Shs100 million,” said Museveni.
Ms. Namyalo had earlier appealed to the President, noting that many sex workers, primarily youths, serve numerous clients and could benefit from financial support.
“Your Excellency, I will not shy away from making this request since you are our grandfather. I request you to give each of the sex workers’ SACCOs at least Shs100 million. After all, I see people bringing you fake SACCOs and you give them money,” she remarked.
At the same event, the President urged the youth to champion the enforcement of free education under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) programs.
“You (the youths) need to insist and say stop school charges in government schools. Wake up everybody and let us implement UPE and USE. If we had implemented UPE and USE well, we would be very far by now,” he said.
Museveni also addressed corruption within the Parish Development Model (PDM), vowing to hold accountable those who misappropriate funds. He revealed that the government had intervened to stop bank deductions on PDM funds and directed those who received funds irregularly to repay them.
“During my tour, I have discovered that there are people who are not qualified for the PDM. Those ones got it yet they are not supposed to get it. They should pay it back immediately,” he warned.
The President also pledged to locate and rebury the remains of bush war freedom fighters who lost their lives in Mbale during the 1981-1986 struggle. He promised to support the families of the fallen fighters as part of the government’s efforts to honor their contributions.
The symposium, organized by the ONC Kyambogo, is part of Museveni’s countrywide tour to monitor the performance of PDM and other wealth creation initiatives in various regions.
