The Deputy Speaker of parliament Anita Among has tasked all legislators to evaluate and present their reports from the 1-week oversight role in Emyooga funds.
The Emyooga, a presidential initiative on wealth and job creation, was rolled out in October 2020 to support among others, market vendors, welders, taxi drivers, boda-boda riders, women, and restaurant owners who come together in form of savings and credit co-operative societies.
MPs are expected to submit sub-regional reports on their findings to the House.
The 10th Parliament had approved Shs170 billion for Emyooga funds as part of the Shs3.7 trillion supplementary budget, which was passed.
The deputy speaker sent legislators on a 1-week recess to enable them to rate the impact if the Emyooga funds in their constituencies.
Among stipulated while sending off the legislators; “When you go to the constituencies, you need to find out the criteria used to disburse the funds. Are the beneficiaries real or they are ghosts? Are there businesses that have been set up using the funds?”
However, there have been noticeable loopholes in the disbursement of these funds with most legislators reporting that the circumstances of the cash distribution were not clear.
Legislators say the majority of their constituents viewed the funds as ”free money ” considering it was rolled out during election time.
Others say various Sacco’s that invested in and signed up for this money are yet to receive the funds.
According to the SACCO members, the Microfinance Support Center has continued to come up with different guidelines.
The guidelines require every Emyooga SACCO to set up an office, employ loan officers, erect signposts as a prerequisite to saving money on their accounts among others
However, the beneficiaries say the process is expensive and lengthy.
There have also been reports of government officials cornering locals to steal the funds.
In the Amolatar district, in the Lango sub-region, growing tensions between district technocrats and the Resident District Commissioner have denied locals from accessing the Emyoga funds to date.
Each of the Saccos receives shs30 million as seed capital, save for the private teachers and leaders that each receives shs60 million and 50 million respectively.
In the light of all this, Among says once all teams submit their reports on emyooga ,it will guide the house on subsequent programs.
This comes as parliament is yet to commence the Parish Development Model (PDM) which has been allocated Shs 490 billion.
Among told the house“We have just approved the parish model but we cannot implement it before we know what the Emyooga funds have done. That will be continuous waste of money and then you say government is not doing anything to help the people. Let us help government to help the people,”
The PDM is meant to eradicate poverty through the execution of development activities at the parishes.
