UPDF spouses fund records rapid growth

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The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Spouses Desk on Friday (Feb. 20) convened a stakeholders’ workshop for the Presidential Support Fund (PSF) to review project performance.

Launched in 2019 by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the PSF was created to support Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) for spouses of UPDF personnel. An initiative aims to equip spouses with practical skills, promote self-reliance, improve household income, and strengthen confidence and social capital while fostering a culture of saving and access to microfinance.

A release from the Ministry of Defence and Veterans' Affairs states that the fund targets spouses of UPDF personnel who are not salaried staff or the ministry's workers. It now operates in 32 units nationwide.

The project performance report released at the workshop on Friday states that from the initial sh1.9 billion disbursed to 27 units, the SACCO has, as of January 31, registered an additional sh210 million mobilised internally through profits and surplus remittances from member units.

Col Nelson Aheebwa giving his remarks during the PSF stakeholders workshop at DIS on Feb. 20. (Courtesy)

At the meeting, Deputy Joint Staff Political Commissariat, Col Nelson Aheebwa, paid tribute to the architects of the PSF project, expressing satisfaction with its growth from less than sh2 billion to over sh5 billion in five years.

During a meeting at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs headquarters in Mbuya in Kampala, members also shared experiences and strategies for sustaining their achievements. Participants included: senior officers, project implementers, and beneficiaries to evaluate outcomes and strengthen future implementation efforts.

Representing the Joint Staff Political Commissariat, the Director Civil-Military Cooperation, Brigadier General Michael Kibuye, commended the organisers for a successful workshop.

Brig. Gen. Micheal Kibuye giving his remarks during the PSF stakeholders workshop at DIS on Feb. 20. (Courtesy)

“Such workshops are important because they provide an opportunity for members to meet, interact, and share both success stories and challenges,” he said, noting that the meeting reviewed five years of project performance and assessed both benefits and challenges.

He commended Mrs Rebecca Mugume Kusaasira, the Principal Social Development Officer at the UPDF Spouses Desk, for effectively managing the project and organising the workshop, noting that regular reviews enhance efficiency.

“The project has integrated spouses of soldiers into the money economy, raising soldiers’ morale. Increased morale contributes to national stability,” he said, adding that ideological grounding and discipline have played a vital role in the project’s success. He noted that the Commissariat will continue nurturing the fund until it becomes fully self-sustaining.



Mrs Mugume applauded the success of the women’s revolving fund and expressed gratitude to the President for his vision in establishing the initiative.

“The programme aligns directly with the Ministry’s mandate to improve welfare by enhancing the lives of soldiers’ spouses through income generation and sustainable impact,” she said.

She noted that the PSF has strengthened women’s participation in income-generating activities, improved household incomes, enhanced access to credit, and promoted a savings culture. The revolving fund mechanism, she explained, ensures continuity, accountability, and equitable access, enabling more women to benefit over time while promoting family harmony.

Mrs Mugume commended unit commanders, Unit Implementation Committees, and Social Development Officers for ensuring transparency and effective fund management.

Beneficiaries are engaged in diverse activities, including cattle fattening, goat rearing, piggery, crop farming (maize, groundnuts, and sorghum), market vending, hairdressing, poultry keeping, and retail businesses.

More testimonies

Komuhangi Mariam, who established a tailoring workshop in Bombo Barracks, employs several women.

Adiba Florence of Katabi Barracks expanded her snacks' business, doubled her income to approximately sh600,000 per month.

Daphine Kobusinge of Jinja Cantonment progressed from selling homemade juice to operating a boutique. She reported that her enterprise, which sells refreshments and operates secretarial services, increased her daily earnings from sh10,000 to sh40,000.

In Entebbe, the Twezimbe Women’s Group from SFC Luttamaguzi Barracks in Kigungu operates a dairy project.

Administrators reported that after receiving loans of sh16 million at different intervals in 2021, the group now owns 13 heads of cattle, including bulls. The group, which manages a revolving loan portfolio exceeding sh10 million, projects sh35 million in profits over the next five years.

Guests at the workshop included Joint Staff Finance, Brig. Gen. Robert Mugabe, Deputy Director Defence Public Information, Col Henry Obbo, and other senior officers and staff.