Bunyoro MCs, media panellists get sh100m Museveni seed capital
Mugasa said the President initiated this fund after discovering that the MCs and media panellists given were not benefitting from other government programmes such as Parish Development Model and Emyooga.
State Minister for Public Service Grace Mary Mugasa posing for a photo with members of Bunyoro MCs and media panellists. (Photo by Peter Abaanabasazi)
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Masters of ceremonies (MCs) and media panellists in Bunyoro Kitara kingdom are on cloud nine after President Yoweri Museveni injected shillings 100 million into their savings organisation (SACCO).
The 100 million is part of 1.8 billion funds earmarked to be distributed to Uganda’s 18 regions. Each region is meant to receive 100 million, and the beneficiaries will receive the money as soft loans at 6% interest, giving MCs and panellists the financial boost to grow their careers.
While launching the disbursement of the money to the beneficiaries at Kolping Hotel in Hoima city on December 5, 2025, public service state minister Grace Mary Mugasa said the President initiated this fund after discovering that the MCs and media panellists given were not benefitting from other government programmes such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga.
She said the funds are loans, not donations, and must be used strictly for development purposes, with signed agreements and prior training in loan management.
Mugasa added that the beneficiaries will be required to pay back their loans to ensure that the members who missed out on the first phase get a chance to benefit from the fund.
“We have given out this money during campaign time, but this is not campaign or political money; this is a seed capital; you are required to go and invest it in profitable ventures which will help you to make your own money and pay back since it is a revolving fund”, she said.
However, Mugasa expressed concern that some beneficiaries of PDM and Emyooga have mismanaged the funds disbursed to them as seed capital. She insisted that the money is a revolving fund and should, therefore, be paid back.
“Our people should be reminded that the President initiated all these programmes with an idea of helping our poor people to get loan at low interest and save them from acquiring loans from banks and moneylenders who offer loan at high interest, which sometimes people fail to pay back and they lose their property”.
Hoima Resident City Commissioner Baduru Mugabu said before the money was released, the beneficiaries were made to put in place required processes such as registering the Bunyoro MCs and Media Panellists SACCO to ensure transparency, accountability and traceability.
He urged members to put the funds to productive use and actively mobilise support for Museveni, ahead of his upcoming campaign visit.
“With cash in the account and leadership training in place, Bunyoro’s MCs and panelists are ready to turn opportunity into growth, proving that talent, backed by smart support, can thrive”, he said.
However, Mugabi urged the members to embrace saving culture and payment of shares since SACCO survives on saving.
Fredrick Makuru Omuhamba Akiiki, the treasurer of the SACCO, commended President Museveni for remembering and supporting them with seed capital to improve on household income.
He said the SACCO currently has 76 registered members from the districts of Hoima, Masindi, Buliisa, Kakumiro, Kagadi and Hoima city and that the beneficiaries received between shillings one and two million.
“We do not have a selected enterprise, but each beneficiary will choose their own business to invest in,” he said.
SACCO secretary Moses Bingi described the loan as a big boost in their ventures.
“I applied for two million, and once I receive it, I will use it to procure a device (machine) used in live streaming. I have been finding it had to do live streaming due to lack of this device”, he said.