Ayivu West Division’s Benard Atiku Promises Interest-Free Loans for Persons with Disabilities
Atiku Benard speaking to the PWDs in Pajulu on Sunday. Photo Credit, Andrew Cohen Amvesi
ARUA CITY – Ayivu West Division parliamentary candidate Benard Atiku has pledged to provide interest-free loans to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) if elected as Member of Parliament (MP).
Atiku, a former Ayivu County MP, said he plans to use the Shs200 million parliamentary vehicle grant to establish a microfinance scheme in the house he built at Ayivu Division headquarters in Onduparaka.
He explained that the microfinance initiative would offer interest-free loans to PWDs in Ayivu West Division to support their economic empowerment.
Atiku made the announcement while addressing over 100 PWDs at the former Pajulu sub-county headquarters in Pajulu on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
The PWDs had shared with him that they had felt neglected since he left office.
Atiku urged the PWDs to organize themselves by registering members at the village level to facilitate support.
“I intend to establish a microfinance scheme using the Shs200 million that Parliament provides for purchasing a vehicle. The microfinance will operate from the house I built in Onduparaka, and PWDs should know that you will have dedicated office space there,” Atiku said.
He added that a representative had been identified during the campaign to collect detailed information on PWDs in Ayivu West Division for targeted assistance.
To combat poverty, Atiku said he would prioritize PWDs for group loans from the microfinance scheme. The loans would be invested in businesses and repaid without interest.
“We will ring-fence funds specifically for PWDs so they do not compete with others. You will access your money under the PWD category,” Atiku stated, drawing applause from the group.
He further promised free cocoa seedlings to PWDs with land, ensuring each receives seedlings for at least one acre.
“We will raise cocoa seedlings at the ward level. Register your names in your respective cells and indicate that you are a person with disability. This will allow us to prioritize PWDs during distribution,” Atiku noted.
He also committed to organizing specialized training for PWDs on cocoa planting to ensure they fully understand the process.
Additionally, Atiku pledged to connect PWDs in Ayivu West Division with the Minister of Disability in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to enable direct access to government programs.
Harry Geria, a PWD from Urugbo cell, thanked Atiku for meeting them and welcomed the interest-free loans and cocoa planting initiatives, saying they would help lift them out of poverty.
Geria noted that PWDs had been neglected since Atiku left office in 2021.
“I want to thank you, Hon. Atiku, for coming to us. Since you left office, we have been abandoned. Now that you are back, we see you as our savior who will lift our burdens. As PWDs, we are poor and cannot afford justice in courts because we lack money for lawyers. Kindly help us,” Geria pleaded.
He also requested Atiku to lobby for electric or fuel-powered wheelchairs to improve their mobility without relying on others.
Suzan Lulu, another PWD, said Atiku had previously lobbied resources for them while in Parliament, and his absence had affected them greatly.
Lulu urged her colleagues to turn out in large numbers on January 15, 2026, to vote for Atiku, who has clear plans for PWDs.