By Godfrey Muhumuza
Hoima district is struggling to recover 850 million Shillings that was advanced to the various women groups in the district under the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Program (UWEP).
UWEP is an initiative of the government that is aimed at improving access to financial services for women and equipping them with skills for enterprise growth, value addition and marketing of their products and services.
The program is implemented as a rolling program under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD).  Under the program, Women groups are provided interest-free credit for enterprise development on a revolving fund basis.
The Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Program was initiated in the 2015/16 financial year, to empower women to improve their income levels and contribute to economic development.
In the 2018/2019 financial year, Hoima district local government in conjunction with the Ministry of Gender, labour and Social Development disbursed shillings 850 million to various women groups in the various sub-counties in the district.
The money was advanced to various women groups in the sub-counties of Buhanika, Buseruka, Kyabigambire, Bulindi town council, Kapapi, Kabaale, Buraru, Bombo, Kigorobya town council, Kiganja and Kijongo among others.
However, the beneficiaries have defaulted and declined to pay back the revolving money.
Records at the district indicate that 23 women groups in Buhanika sub-county defaulted on 200 million Shillings that was allocated to them while in Kitoba sub-county 14 women groups have swindled 157 million Shillings advanced to them under the UWEP.
The records further reveal that 17 women groups in Kigorobya town council have defaulted on 91 million Shillings allocated to them while women groups in Buseruka sub-county have swindled 67 million Shillings.
Women groups in Kabaale sub-county have failed to pay back shillings 57 million while those in Kyabigambire and bulindi town councils have failed to repay 47.5 million and 22 million Shillings respectively advanced.
Joyce Kabatalya, the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Program (UWEP) focal person for Hoima district says the women groups have adamantly refused to pay back the money yet it is a revolving fund.
Kabatalya reveals that some of the groups have either disintegrated or the members relocated to unknown destinations, as a way of avoiding accountability.
Kabatalya says, her office intends to engage the Police to ensure that the defaulters are arrested and prosecuted accordingly for justice to prevail.
Davis Tumuhairwe, the Sub County Chief for Buhanika explains that efforts to recover shillings 200 million allocated to women groups in the area have not yielded any fruits stating that, some of the women have since vacated the area after failing to pay back the money.
Margret Ruhigwa, the Chairperson women’s council for Hoima district has tasked the women’s groups to fulfil their obligation by ensuring that they repay the money to allow other women groups to benefit from the program.
Juliet Kusemererwa, one of the beneficiaries from the Buhanika sub-county explained that most of the enterprises and businesses they selected collapsed after they were hit hard by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Kusemererwa has appealed to the district to allocate them more time to pay back the money.
