Kiruhura SACCO hailed for driving community transformation

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Col Allan Kitanda, the chairman of the Uganda Cooperative Savings and Credit Union (UCSCU), the umbrella organisation of all SACCOs in the country, has hailed the people of Kiruhura and the Ankole region for spearheading the SACCO movement in Uganda.

Col Kitanda made the remarks on March 28, 2026, while addressing members of Rushere SACCO Ltd at the 24th Annual General Meeting, where he was the chief guest. The meeting, which attracted delegates from different districts in the western region, was held in Rushere town council, Kiruhura district.

He praised Rushere SACCO Ltd for being a vibrant pillar in promoting financial inclusion in the district and contributing significantly to the socio-economic transformation of surrounding communities.

He emphasised that the cooperative union model worldwide is one of the best because it brings people together and bridges social connections. He encouraged residents to support SACCOs, noting that they help strengthen household incomes.

"Today we are celebrating 24 years of the success of Rushere SACCO, they have now reached 22 billion shillings, we want to celebrate the members of Rushere SACCO because you have shown an example that from a humble community, you can develop a financially viable institution," he stated.

Col Kitanda expressed satisfaction that the SACCO movement in the country is gaining strong momentum.

Outstanding members of Rushere SACCO received awards at the 24th Annual General Meeting held on Saturday.

“I'm telling you we are unstoppable, if we can leverage on this in the next ten years, the SACCO sector is going to be roaring on the African continent," he stated.

He said that UCSCU intends to rely on SACCOs to deepen financial inclusion, adding that they also play a vital role in social transformation and the welfare of members.

Rushere SACCO was started with 30 members as a small association in 2001, known as Rushere Savings and Credit Development Association, spearheaded by Rev. Fr. Paolino Tomaino, the then parish priest of Rushere Catholic Church in Nyabushozi County, Kiruhura District.

The SACCO has since grown to over 30,000 members.

According to Rev. Fr Zeddy Melchiades Byabashaija, chairman of the board of directors of Rushere SACCO, the institution has registered positive performance across key indicators. Total assets grew by 37 per cent during the period under review.

The loan portfolio increased by 24.6 per cent, total savings grew by 40 per cent, while share capital rose by 15.6 per cent.

“We want to extend our sincere gratitude to all members who contributed much to this steady growth,” Rev. Fr Byabashaija stated at the meeting.

Arinaitwe Tarsian, who presented the supervisory committee report, encouraged members to always repay their loans on time to reduce loan loss provisions and enable the SACCO to realise more profits.

Hellen Kwoyesiga, the treasurer of Rushere SACCO, called for continued support from development partners to enable the SACCO to provide quality financial services to the economically active poor on a sustainable basis.

Elly Kakiiza, the general manager of Rushere SACCO, encouraged members to buy more shares and protect the environment through tree planting in their communities.