KABALE STRUGGLES TO RECOVER 1BN UWEP FUNDS

Ambrose Kweronda
KABALE DISTRICT

Kabale district Local government is struggling to recover over One Billion shillings that was given to women groups under Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) and Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP).

The fund was set up by the government in the financial year 2015-2016, to improve access to financial services by women and equip them with skills for enterprise growth, value addition and creation of a market for their products and services. The funds are given to women with already established business enterprises who receive interest-free revolving credit to strengthen their enterprises. YLP is a nationwide government intervention intended to improve the socio-economic status of vulnerable youth aged 18-30 years by equipping them with skills and start-up capital to improve their quality of life.

The district received 965,256,145 million shillings for youth livelihood programs and 791,496,495 million shilling for women groups from the ministry of gender, labour and social development. According to the breakdown, 965,256,145 million shillings was dispatched to 146 youth groups and 791,496,495 million shilling to 148 women groups in the district according to a report released by Kabale district Labor office.

While addressing the Kabale district Community Development Officers (CDOs) and the sub county chiefs yesterday in a review meeting about the new implementation recovery strategy of Youth Livelihood Program (ULP) / Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) held at the district headquarters in Kabale municipality, Ronald Bakak the Kabale district Deputy Resident Commissioner (DRDC) said that the district has managed to recover 261,885,232 million shillings and they have an outstanding balance of 703,370,913 million shillings for youth livelihood program.

Bakak also revealed that the district has managed to recover 289,806,100 million shillings leaving a balance of 501,690,395 for 148 women groups in the district. He further said that the district is currently hunting a recovery of 1,205,061,308 billion shillings from both 164 youth groups across the district.

Both women and youth groups have been given an ultimatum of 30 days to cough up the outstanding money, failure to do so they will be arrested and subjected to courts of law by February 2023.