The State Minister for Microfinance, Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo, has given a two-month ultimatum to all those who are yet to pay back the Emyooga revolving funds or else they will be prosecuted.

The minister gave the deadline while in Kikuube District in his ongoing tour of the Bunyoro region, to monitor the performance of the Presidential intuitive on poverty alleviation, commonly known as the Emyooga programme.

Hon. Kyeyune was shocked by a report from the Microfinance Support Centre which indicated that most districts are lagging behind in savings and the recovery of Emyooga funds.

Emmanuel Twinomujuni, the Microfinance Support Centre Hoima Zonal Manager in charge of the Bunyoro sub-region, said that Kikuube district is the worst performing district in the recovery of the Emyooga funds in Bunyoro region.

Kikuube District received 1.2 billion shillings as seed capital from the Microfinance Support Centre but only 300 million shillings have so far been paid back, which represents just 10% of the total amount to be recovered. 

State Minister for Microfinance, Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo said that Emyooga defaulters will soon be named and shamed on local radio stations unless they pay up in the next two months.

According to the minister, after the expiry of the two months, the defaulters will face arrest.

He explained that the Emyooga programme was initiated by President Yoweri Museveni to alleviate poverty by empowering citizens to create jobs and wealth. He warned that no individual will be allowed to frustrate the programme.

Minister Kasolo wondered why some people erroneously think that all money disbursed by the government for poverty alleviation bused can be abused and people get away with it.

The minister ordered the arrest of Mr. John Paul Mugabe, the chairperson of the Buhaguzi Constituency Mechanics Saving and Credit Co-operative Society (SACCO) in Kikuube district for failing to pay 13 million shillings which he irregularly took from the SACCO. Mugabe denies the claims.

Amlan Tumusiime, the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner and Peter Banura, the Kikuube District Chairperson said that the name and shame idea is timely because some beneficiaries deliberately refused to pay because they think that Emyooga money was a political incentive.

The presidential initiative on wealth and job creation dubbed the Emyooga programme was launched in August 2019 as part of the broad government strategy aimed at transforming 68% of homesteads from subsistence to market-oriented production. The initiative supports 18 categories of production.