CAOs are thieves, says Museveni
President Museveni interacts with some of the youth and women under the Sseninde Foundation programme, who graduated in Wakiso yesterday. PHOTO BY JOSEPH KIGGUNDU
WAKISO- President Museveni yesterday attacked chief administrative officers (CAOs), accusing them of being responsible for the disappearance of huge sums of money that is usually sent to the district headquarters meant for development of local groups.
The President made the hard- hitting accusations about the CAOs yesterday while addressing women and the youth, who had successfully completed their three-month courses in different skills such as tailoring, bakery, fashion and design and decoration.
“These days I gave up on CAOs, all the money we send to the districts just disappears into their hands,” said Mr Museveni.
“I hope this one of yours that you are talking about is not like the others, for example, we send money for developing different local groups but it never reaches there. Since 1995, we have been sending money through the National Agricultural advisory Services (Naads) -Shs361b, the district youth groups- Shs265b and the women development- Shs82B, to mention but a few…all this money disappears,” the President said.
As a way forward, Mr Museveni called upon all CAOs to repent against the “sins” that they have committed and be safe before the people and God.
“In my Christian faith, when you repent, you are forgiven. So all those CAOs who have stolen money meant for other things should come out and repent to the people they have made to suffer. The truth is that some of you are weevils,” said Mr Museveni.
Speaking at the same function, junior minister for Primary Education, Ms Rosemary Nansubuga Seninde, thanked the people, who had contributed to the well-being of the programme and sighted out some of the challenges they had faced while training the women and youth in the various courses.
“We didn’t have enough sewing machines and the distance for the single mothers, stay-at-home wives and the disabled was too much. I will make sure this programme extends to other parts of the district,” said Ms Seninde.
She requested the President to give them more machines, which the President promised to avail. Mr Museveni promised to continue supporting the different local group through different programmes of service and skills, ICT and agriculture.
He went on to encourage the youths to look for potential markets for their products they had exhibited.
