South African returnees form SACCO
President Museveni also offered sh2m to each household head to facilitate the returnees’ transportation back to their home districts and encouraged them to use government wealth-creation programmes, including the Parish Development Model and Emyooga, to rebuild their livelihoods.
Ugandan returnees from South Africa. (File photo)
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Ugandan returnees from South Africa have formed a Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (SACCO) following a directive by President Yoweri Museveni to organise themselves so that they can get government support.
Named South African Returnees’ Organisation (SAURO), the SACCO was formed following an interaction with President Yoweri Museveni on July 19, 2026, at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi district. During the meeting, Museveni advised the returnees to form a SACCO to support them in starting income-generating projects.
The group that was repatriated from South Africa underwent rehabilitation, counselling and orientation following xenophobic attacks.
President Museveni also offered sh2m to each household head to facilitate the returnees’ transportation back to their home districts and encouraged them to use government wealth-creation programmes, including the Parish Development Model and Emyooga, to rebuild their livelihoods.
The returnees' SACCO is expected to provide a platform for collective savings, investment and access to credit.
Speaking during the SACCO formation and election process on September 8, at La Grande Hotel in Bwaise, Kampala, Hilda Kirabo Musubika, a commercial officer from Kampala Capital City Authority-Nakawa Division, thanked members of the interim committee for taking the initiative to mobilise others and spearhead the registration of their savings scheme.
“I want to thank members of the interim committee for taking the initiative to lead others to make sure this SACCO is registered. These people came to us, and we took them through the whole process, which requires a lot of paperwork. I am happy for their determination because they produced everything required, and that is why you see this registration certificate,” Musubika said.
She cautioned members that registration meant the SACCO had become a formal entity that must operate within the law. “We are now here as an official entity. The moment you register the SACCO as an entity, it means that you have to follow the law to the latter,” Musubika cautioned.
“We don’t operate the way we want once we register, but we follow the written regulations. We have an Act that governs SACCOs and regulations, which must work in tandem with the Act,” Musubika said.
Following the general election, members unanimously elected Felix Mugabi as chairperson, with Shamsi Biira as vice-chairperson and Arafat Kitatta as treasurer.
Other committee members are; Haruna Ssesimbwa Balongo, Phiona Nagadya, Eria Kemilyango, Patricia Kamwiine and Charles Oceng, while Didi Muhindo serves as secretary to the council.
The term of the executive will last four years, although Musubika advised that the General Assembly can sit and decide on the term of office.
How SAURO will run
To join the SACCO, one must pay a registration fee of sh20,000, and to become a full member, one must buy shares worth sh50,000, according to a resolution passed during the meeting.
It was agreed that members who only pay the sh20,000 fee will remain non-full members and will not participate in the decision-making or vote on the SACCO affairs.
At subscription to the SACCO, members must also prove that they are Ugandan citizens by providing either a national identity card or a valid passport.
The executive will comprise three elected executive members — the chairperson, vice-chairperson and treasurer — together with six other members, including the secretary to the SACCO.
The SACCO will also have two contingent committees comprising three members each. These are; the advisory and vetting committees, which will be appointed from time to time to perform specific activities.
Musubika said the committees would be drawn from the existing committees whenever the need arises.
She urged members to familiarise themselves with the laws and regulations governing SACCOs to ensure that SAURO operates within the required legal and financial framework.
The SAURO chairperson (Mugabi) said the returnees had acquired skills in areas, including automotive engineering, construction, carpentry, tailoring, metal fabrication, leather works, information technology and real estate during their time abroad, but lacked capital to invest in these ventures.
He said the SACCO would provide members with an opportunity to mobilise resources collectively and invest in productive activities.
The formation of the SACCO is part of the Government’s efforts to reintegrate Ugandans repatriated from South Africa and equip them with skills and opportunities to rebuild their livelihoods at home.
The Kyankwanzi programme was coordinated by the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps, with the returnees undergoing rehabilitation, counselling and ideological orientation before being reintegrated into their communities.
Museveni urged the returnees to move away from dependence on relief and instead engage in productive ventures such as agriculture, manufacturing, vocational skills and entrepreneurship to rebuild their lives.