[Uganda] Swindled Poverty Alleviation Funds Split Youths In Jinja

from All africa

The Monitor (Kampala)

Isaac Mufumba
Jinja

A MISUNDERSTANDING has broken out among youth groups in Busoga over the mismanagement of Bonna Bagaggawale funds.

Shs 300 million

The Minister of State for Micro Finance, Gen. Salim Saleh, in February gave the youth in the area Shs300 million under President Yoweri Museveni's Bonna Bagaggawale (prosperity for all) scheme to support their poverty alleviation projects.

Agricultural projects in piggery, poultry and maize, groundnuts and upland rice farming had been considered.

The swindle

A section of the youth told Daily Monitor that the money has since been misappropriated by their leaders.

They say it was meant to be distributed among 50 youth groups in Busoga region through the Seventh of July Youth Cooperative Movement, which Saleh launched during the presidential campaigns.

The youth accused their leaders of putting the money to personal use.

Their secretary, Mr James Musaazi, reportedly used part of the money to purchase land in Makindye, Kampala, where he is constructing a commercial building.

Members of the youth groups worry the agricultural projects that the money was supposed to fund might not start.

The activities had reportedly been designed to be a model for a plan to commercialise farming in Busoga region.

The accused

Asked for clarification, Musaazi, on Wednesday denied swindling any money, saying property the youth allege he acquired with the money were bought long before Saleh advanced the money to the cooperative movement.

He said those complaining fall in the category of those who are not eligible for funding, and that others who would have been eligible have not met their prerequisites for the funding, which include availability of land and construction of structures that show the money will be put to use.