Kawempe, Kampala: Nearly nine years since President Yoweri Museveni extended a Shs100 million support to the Wekembe-Kawempe Market SACCO in a bid to empower traders, the funds reportedly vanished without trace, leaving hundreds of market vendors disillusioned and demanding accountability.
The revelation came to light on Wednesday, November 05, when Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, the Head of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), made an impromptu visit to the market in Kawempe, where she was shocked to learn that the Presidential support, meant to uplift traders, was allegedly mismanaged by SACCO leaders.
“The President trusted you with this money to improve your livelihoods. How can it disappear without results?” a furious Namyalo asked during her engagement with the traders.
The 2016 Presidential Pledge Gone Sour
DailyExpress understands that in August 2016, President Museveni visited Kawempe and extended Shs100 million to the Wekembe Market SACCO as part of his broader entrepreneurship and poverty alleviation drive, targeting informal sector workers and small business owners.
The funds were meant to boost market vendors’ capital, improve their stalls, and promote savings and investment among traders in one of Kampala’s busiest business hubs.
However, nine years later, the traders told Hajjat Namyalo that they have not benefited at all, claiming the money was either loaned out without recovery plans or embezzled by SACCO leaders who have never been held accountable.
“Yes, we heard about the President’s money, but it never reached most of us,” said Jane Nantongo, a trader at Wekembe Market. “They said it was for our SACCO, but even the committee members can’t explain where it went.”
Conflicting Accounts from SACCO Leaders
When pressed for answers, one of the accused SACCO officials told Namyalo that the funds had been distributed as loans to members who failed to repay, citing economic hardship during the COVID-19 lockdowns. “We gave out the money to members, but many failed to pay back because of the pandemic,” the official claimed.
But other traders disputed that narrative, accusing him and the SACCO leadership of mismanagement and deliberate fraud. “That’s just an excuse,” one of the vendors retorted. “There was poor record-keeping and zero accountability. Some people took money who were not even members.”
The market currently hosts over 370 stalls, housing vendors dealing in groceries, textiles, household goods, and small eateries. Most say they are still struggling with low incomes, worsened by poor market management and unfulfilled government promises.
Namyalo Orders Probe, Warns Corrupt Officials
Visibly angered by the revelations, Hajjat Namyalo directed ONC coordinators in Wakiso to conduct a comprehensive audit of Wekembe Market operations, verify the number of stall owners, traders, and the status of the 2016 Presidential donation.
“We need to establish how many traders are here, what they sell, and who benefitted from that money. Only then can we report the truth to the President,” Namyalo said.
She vowed to expose and report any officials found guilty of embezzling Presidential funds, including those mishandling Emyooga and Parish Development Model (PDM) programs. “Whoever misuses government money meant for the poor will not go unpunished. I will personally report to the President anyone caught stealing from the bazzukulu,” Namyalo warned.
The traders have now appealed to the President through his ONC to intervene and recover the lost funds, while also calling for fresh empowerment support through the ONC and State House programs. “We were promised transformation, but instead, we have been robbed,” lamented Josephine Nansubuga, a vendor who has been at the market since 2015. “We hope Hajjat can help us get justice and revive our SACCO.”
But Namyalo assured the traders that once investigations are complete, President Museveni will be briefed, and appropriate action will be taken. She also pledged to mobilize new empowerment tools and financial support for genuine traders who continue to uphold the spirit of hard work and patriotism.
The Wekembe Market case adds to a growing list of SACCO and cooperative scandals in Uganda, where government funds intended for community empowerment have been diverted or misused by corrupt officials.
Recent ONC monitoring reports have exposed similar irregularities in Bugisu, Lango, and Busoga sub-regions, with billions of shillings lost through ghost beneficiaries, fake cooperatives, and poor accountability structures.
Analysts now warn that unless the government enforces stricter oversight and audit mechanisms, such leakages could derail national wealth creation programs like PDM and Emyooga, which are key pillars of President Museveni’s economic transformation agenda.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
