Kampala, Uganda: The Minister of State for Microfinance, Hon Kyeyune Haruna Kasolo has reportedly gone into panic mode after the National Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation, Gen Caleb Akandwanaho commonly known as Salim Saleh publicly exposed massive theft and ghost SACCO scandals under the government’s Emyooga programme, raising alarm over billions of taxpayers’ money lost.
Speaking in an interview aired on NBS TV, on Wednesday, May 07, Gen Saleh, expressed deep frustration with the management of Emyooga funds, revealing that money meant for job creation and community enterprise groups has instead been looted through non-existent SACCOs and forged accountability reports.
“The way these funds are being handled lacks transparency and accountability. If the intended beneficiaries are not seeing the money, then we must ask tough questions about where it is going,” Gen Saleh said, sending shockwaves through the corridors of the Microfinance Ministry.
The remarks have reportedly unsettled Minister Kasolo, who is accused of shielding officials implicated in orchestrating ghost SACCOs across districts, manipulating registers, and selectively disbursing funds to politically connected entities with no traceable membership or activity.
The Emyooga programme, launched in 2019 as a flagship wealth creation intervention by President Museveni, was designed to finance SACCOs formed by groups such as boda boda riders, tailors, welders, market vendors, and journalists.
However, a growing body of evidence from the Auditor General, district reports, and whistleblowers indicates that the programme has been infiltrated by fraud. Many SACCOs were either fake, non-operational, or formed on paper with the sole purpose of accessing funds.
In several sub-counties, Emyooga cash remains unaccounted for, with local leaders and beneficiaries left in the dark.
Mounting Pressure on Kasolo
With Gen Saleh’s criticism now dominating national headlines, pressure is mounting on Minister Kasolo to explain how the programme was hijacked by fraudsters under his watch.
Civil society actors and MPs are calling for a comprehensive audit and prosecution of officials who facilitated the theft.
“Emyooga was supposed to transform lives, but it has turned into a cash cow for the corrupt. We want arrests, not apologies,” said one legislator from eastern Uganda.
Despite the backlash, Kasolo has remained tight-lipped, fueling speculation that a deeper cover-up may be underway.
Observers say Gen Saleh’s bombshell could mark the beginning of a purge within the Ministry of Microfinance as the government struggles to salvage the credibility of a programme it once paraded as a model for poverty eradication.
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