Officers and staff in the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and Micro Finance Support Centre are living in fear of being arrested and prosecuted over mismanaging Shs1.6bn Emyooga fund allocated to fight poverty in Kampala city.
Highly placed sources at police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have revealed that very soon the implicated officers and staff are going to be summoned by detectives to record statements and do some explaining as preliminary investigations kick off.
Maj. Dr. Tom Magambo, police’s Director for CID last year informed President Museveni that by the time suspects are summoned, all investigations will be done and detectives will only demand for their statements to be added on the file before it is forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for sanctioning noting that chances are very minimal that suspects will return back home.
Sources added that the investigations into the mismanaging of the Emyooga funds have been jointly done by different government investigation agencies under the lead of CID working on the guidance of President Museveni who directed that police should not release the suspects involved in mismanaging of Emyooga and Parish Development money noting that the crime they committed is treasonous.
The President added that he was also going to talk to the Chief Justice to guide court not to release such suspects on Court bail.
Local leaders in Kampala who have been monitoring the released funds to fight poverty like Moses Okwera Mugisha, a councillor of Nakawa Division, told this investigative website that some of the government officials involved in the misuse of these funds have been implicated in widespread corruption and mismanagement like: personal use of these funds, inclusion of ineligible beneficiaries, high rates of non-operational SACCOs, external interference, and lack of accountability.
According to the findings of the investigators, Nakawa Division Microfinance Support Centre and Banks where beneficiaries are supposed to pick money from to finance their businesses are alleged to have connived with individuals to swindle funds amounting to Shs1.6bn Emyooga funds.
Investigations revealed that in October 2020, the first Emyooga fund was launched by the Ministry of Finance where Shs4.8bn was allocated to Nakawa Division for Emyooga projects, however only Shs1.9bn has been utilized.
The investigators established that 60 Emyooga SACCOs were formed and out of which 58 received Shs30m initial seed capital each making a total of Shs1,7billion.
They add that out of 58, 30 Emyooga SACCOs received Shs60M each from Micro Finance Support Centre in 2024 instead of the actual figure of Shs30m as per the Government regulations.
Investigations indicate that in total Shs900m was wired to 30 Emyooga SACCOs but members only accessed Shs30m while the rest of the money could just reflect on the account but couldn’t be withdrawn.
Investigations further establish that in Mutungo, Mbuya 1, Mbuya II tailors Emyooga SACCO Ltd account was credited with Shs700m but it was later withdrawn after three days.
Another Shs60M was deposited on the account and members only accessed Shs30m.
Documents seen by Top Secrets investigative website indicates that in 2022, Micro Finance Support Centre launched Shs4bn scheme for extra SACCOs in Kampala to capture the categories of People that had been left out which included: shoe shiners and vendors selling items along the streets of Kampala, but investigations indicate that even though the money was released, no single Emyooga SACCO was formed.
Investigations established further that this money was shared amongst the staff of Micro Finance Support Centre, Micro Finance Centre and KCCA bosses and staff who establised 18 categories of associations and SACCOs like; Boda Boda riders, women entrepreneurs, welders, taxi operators, fishermen, restaurant operators, mechanics, veterans, produce dealers, market vendors, tailors, Persons with disabilities (PWD’s), youth leaders, salons, performing artists, journalists and elected leaders.
According to the ministry of finance documents, Shs260bn was the estimated nationwide budget for this initiative and on this amount, Kampala and Wakiso districts were allocated Shs26bn and Shs14bn respectively.
Investigations further indicate that an additional Shs10bn was earmarked to support groups that do not fall in the original Emyooga categories like visual artists, herbalists, gym trainers, waiters and waitresses, cobblers, and bar attendants among others.
