Unfulfilled Promise: Arua SACCO Still Awaits Museveni’s Shs350m Pledge 7 Years On

ARUA. Salim Kumakech, the Arua Resident City Commissioner (RCC) has given hope to Arua Mother City Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization (SACCO) members on their unfulfilled Presidential pledge of Shs350m.

President Museveni promised to give the said money to the SACCO leaders in 2017 when the then Arua Municipality MP, Col. Ibrahim Abiriga led the team to meet the Head of the State at his residence in Entebbe.

But from the time Abiriga died, the SACCO leaders say, there is nobody reminding the President to fulfill the pledge.

However, speaking during the SACCO’s 17^th anniversary celebrations in Kenya Ward, Arua Central Division on Saturday, February 22, 2025, Kumakech said the passing on of Abiriga shouldn’t leave a gap in the SACCO having access to government support.

“Me and my team are going to make sure that the presidential pledge made to you is fulfilled. I’m happy that I represent a President who fulfills his pledge. Even if you have not yet got any support from the Uganda microfinance support center, I’m going to call the manager and your leadership of the SACCO to meet in my office and you discuss business,” Kumakech said to the excitement of the SACCO members.

Arua Mother City SACCO has a total of 7, 992 members with at least 115 different SACCO groups affiliated to it across the West Nile region. Each SACCO group gets a loan of shs2.5m to shs5m from the mother SACCO and reimburse the money at an interest rate of 10 per cent per annum.

The SACCO which has been a mobilization platform for President Museveni and the NRM party across the region is now struggling to survive due to lack of support from the government.

“A SACCO that is already having over 5,000 people needs government attention. Recently, I led a team of Town Clerk and the Mayor of the city to the Ministry of Finance to get billions of shillings, it is now my task to link you to get hundreds of millions for your SACCO,” Kumakech stated.

Kumakech’s remarks followed Arua Mother City SACCO Manager, Saleh Drasi’s call for external support especially by fulfilling the presidential support made in 2017.

Drasi remained optimistic that Kumakech and his team will this time around act as a bridge for them in ensuring that their pledge is fulfilled.

Zulaika Adroru, a person with disability testified that Arua Mother City SACCO saved her after failing to secure loan from a commercial bank because of her condition.

“I went to a commercial bank but they refused to give me money on the grounds that with my condition, I can’t pay back their money. When I left the bank, a friend took me to Arua Mother City SACCO where I managed to secure a Shs100,000 loan. I invested the money in my business of selling tomatoes and bananas,” Adroru said.

“I started paying back the money and finished. I came back for more money and this time, Arua Mother City SACCO gave me Shs200,000 which I reimbursed, and now I have picked Shs5,000,000 which I’m paying back very well. My business is equally doing well because of the support I got from Arua Mother City SACCO,” Adroru explained.

Swali Atama, the Director and founder of Arua Mother City SACCO, said as the SACCO keeps on growing, it needs financial boost, a reason they keep on reminding President Museveni about the pledge.