Museveni orders probe into Emyooga funds in Busia

President Yoweri Museveni, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate's last campaign meeting in Bukedi subregion on Tuesday took a different tone when it turned into a public probe of Emyooga funds that have been disbursed to Busia district.

At a meeting with NRM party leaders in the district, Museveni took time to explain his campaign message, highlighting opportunities for voters, particularly the young people.

He encouraged the people of Busia to embrace the Emyooga special wealth fund so that they can engage in commercial activities in their professional or career specialties.

"We want everyone of you to belong to any of the 18 specialisations.

We will give each constituency sh560m," Museveni told hundreds of supporters who camped at Madirira Primary School in Busia municipality.

Drama ensued when the President asked district officials to explain to voters in the local dialect about the Emyooga fund and its roll-out in the district.

Capt. Chris Mike Okiring, the Resident District Commissioner, told the delegates that the district had already received the Emyooga funds for groups in four sub-counties.

"The money for Emyooga has arrived but the accounts are dormant.

The Microfinance Support Centre is helping us with the formalities before the money is released this week," Okiring said.

His explanation did not go down well with the scores of supporters who heckled him, forcing Museveni to interrupt his submission. 

"We had over 987 applicants in groups. Of these, 67 were assessed and 62 cleared. They will receive the money after formalities have been finalised," the district chairperson, Geoffrey Wandera, said.

He said the beneficiary groups were required to adhere to formalities, including registration with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau and taking part in training.

Randomly, he singled out one female supporter clad in a yellow print dress with a headscarf identified as Madinah Nagujjah to volunteer information about the programme.

"I will also establish a team from Kampala to probe the matter. She (Nagujjah) will work with my staff to examine the accounts. If I find lies, you will hear that I have taken the officials to Luzira Prison," Museveni said.

The NRM chairperson pledged that the Government would increase the budget for livelihood programmes so that more young people benefit to engage in productive commercial work.

Over the last four years, Busia has received sh1.4b under the Youth Livelihood Programme, benefiting 2,150 youth, out of a population of about 400,000 people.

"MPs need to work with me and we put more money so that we do not talk about 2,000 beneficiaries; we should be talking about 200,000 people," he said.

He cautioned young people against engaging in crime on account of being jobless, insisting that instability will undermine investments that have potential to create the jobs they need.

"You must uphold peace because it has helped to attract investors. Some people engage in chaos, saying they have no jobs. Unfortunately, some of them are hooked to drugs, which will end up destroying them," the President said.

Throughout his address, Museveni kept on asking the crowds to observe social distancing and wear masks as one of the efforts to avoid spread of corona virus.

Infrastructure

Earlier, Museveni kicked off his scientific campaign day in Bukedi sub-region by commissioning several newly-completed infrastructure projects in Busia district.

"I have done so much work today, which is very important. I had meetings in Mbale, including with independents of Karamoja, to harmonise them with flag-bearers.

I launched the Mbale-Lwakhaka road, a new factory and Busia Main Market," he told delegates at the meeting.

Museveni asked party officials to ‘preach' what the party has done for Uganda right from its inception during his student days, including the party's role in ending instability.

He listed a set of 13 pillars that have guided the party since its inception and led to Uganda's transformation over the years, the first of which is rejecting sectarianism.

Others include focusing on the needs of Ugandans, unity, creation of a strong army, peace, attracting the private sector, expanding the tax base, proper planning and wealth creation drives.

Museveni tasked the NRM secretariat with documenting Uganda's history to capture some of the most defining moments, a large share of which he said the party has been part of.

He assured supporters that they would not be harassed again, citing the recent unrest in Kampala and suburbs following the arrest of the National Unity Platform leader, Robert Kyagulanyi.

"Nobody will attack NRM supporters again. I hope that they have learnt the lesson. We will teach them that even if you leave the yellow shirt, there nobody will touch it," he said.

The NRM deputy secretary general, Richard Todwong, told the party delegates to embrace door-to-door campaigns, with an assurance that nobody outside of Busia would be deployed to the area to canvass for votes for Museveni, other than the party officials from the region.

Citizens manifesto

Poverty is one of the top five concerns for voters in Busia districts, according to a recent New Vision public opinion poll.

At least 33.5% of respondents in Busia identified poverty as the most pressing concern, according to the survey drawn from interviews with 5,987 respondents across 45 districts countrywide.

The respondents were randomly asked to state their most outstanding issues of concern in their localities, without giving them a list of issue to choose from. Voters also cited unemployment as a challenge in their locality.

They also identified high costs of living, high crime rate, low wages, unwillingness to work due to alcoholism and drug abuse; high illiteracy rates as well as limited capital as major hindrances.

District demands

Busia district NRM leaders, in their interaction with Museveni, tabled key requests that they want the party leadership to address.

Key among the requests is the provision of government-aided secondary schools in seven subcounties (east division of Busia, Busitema, Sikuda, Dabani, Namungodi, Tiira town council and Masafu town council), as well as technical schools in Samia-Bugwe.

Others include the upgrading of health centres, extension of electricity to health facilities and schools in the area, creation of a free trade zone area and revamping of Majanji port.

They also want Majanji to be linked to the Tororo railway line to decongest Malaba and Busia and to open the Buyinde-Sofia-Mulwanda border post.

Busia leaders also seek government's push to promote cotton growing and processing as well as support to artisanal and small scale miners.

They petitioned Museveni for a review to the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment eligibility to cover people who are 65 years and above and a raise in the package to sh60,000.

The Government recently reviewed the eligibility criteria for senior citizens' access to the monthly grant of sh25,000 upwards from the age of 65 to 80, but covering all regions instead of a few.