Hoima District’s Deputy Resident Commissioner, Michael Kyakashari, recently issued a directive to apprehend a group of 12 women on grounds of their alleged failure to repay a loan obtained through a business program. These women, hailing from Kitoba sub-county, purportedly cited their inability to reimburse the funds provided by President Museveni as a gesture of appreciation for their votes in the previous election. Specifically, members of the Kiburwa Tukolehamu, Kitoba Rice Producers, and Kibaire Farmers groups received a collective sum of Sh50 million from the Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Program (UWEP).
Investigations revealed that the Kiburwa Tukolehamu Group had received Sh9 million but had only managed to repay Sh2 million since 2018. This discovery left Hoima’s Senior Development Officer, Joyce Kabatalya, astounded. The reluctance to repay the borrowed funds seemed to stem from a misguided belief that retaining a token from President Museveni symbolized gratitude for their support of the NRM party.
Expressing dismay, Kabatalya stated, “We’ve exercised leniency since 2018, but now they’re claiming they can’t return the money received as tokens from President Museveni.” She emphasized the necessity of repayment to facilitate further lending and enhance the livelihoods of others.
Issuing a stern warning, Kyakashari emphasized that beneficiaries of government development initiatives such as UWEP, Emyooga, and the Parish Development Model should not take their privileges for granted. “The repayment is non-negotiable, albeit delayed. We are taking decisive action now. Failure to comply will result in arrest, with repayment mandated during detention,” Kyakashari affirmed.
Subsequently, the 12 women were detained at the Hoima police station. Kyakashari asserted that they would only be released upon either making payment within a specified timeframe or providing a written commitment to return the borrowed funds.
