The State Minister for Microfinance Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo has said the Emyooga program is the most decentralized government program in Uganda’s history.
He was yesterday speaking in Rubindi Town Council, Kashari North as part of the monitoring of the program.
Kasolo said that the program was removed from the central level to the local government, adding that even the Microfinance Support Center which is giving the program technical advice has no say on who gets the money.
He added that Emyooga is no longer a government program but rather owned by the people.
The minister was responding to a query raised by Mbarara district chairperson Didas Tabaro who complained that generally local governments have been stripped of their powers by the center.
On the complaint that Emyooga program was introduced during campaign time, the minister dismissed the claim as baseless.
Kasolo said President Museveni gave a greenlight to the program after doing a lot of research on why poverty had persisted among Ugandans.
Kasolo urged leaders to join Emyooga saccos if they’re to effectively mobilize the population noting that only Members of Parliament are not allowed in elected leaders’ saccos.
Speaking at Bwizibwera town council headquarters, in Kashari South constituency, the minister said the next step will be dispatching auditors to scrutinize Emyooga Sacco books of accounts across the country.
