Govt recovers Shs34b from YLP, UWEP beneficiaries

Ms Winfred Masiko, the UWEP National Programmes Coordinator (middle) pose for a photo with journalists after a media discourse in Masaka City on Monday. Photo | Noeline Nabukenya 

What you need to know:

  • Unlike in the previous arrangement, Ms Masiko said even youth and women groups with only five members will benefit from both programmes this time round.

The government through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has recovered Shs34 billion from the beneficiaries of the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) and Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP).

According to Ms Winfred Masiko, the National Programmes Coordinator UWEP, the recovered funds are part of the money government disbursed to districts between 2015 and 2016 to enable various youth and women groups to have access to financial services and also equip them with skills for enterprise growth, value addition and marketing of their products and services.

“Now that we have recovered some money, we are going to wire it back to districts for other groups to benefit from both programmes,” she said.

Unlike in the previous arrangement, Ms Masiko said even youth and women groups with only five members will benefit from both programmes this time around.

In Masaka District alone, Shs60m for YLP has since been recovered as well as Shs14m under UWEP.

Ms Masiko encouraged the beneficiaries to pay back the money so that other people can benefit.

“The YLP fund recovery rate is a bit low. I urge the defaulters to return the money so that their colleagues can also  benefit," she said while addressing a media discourse organized by Ministry of Gender in conjunction with the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) which took place in Masaka City on Monday.

She also asked the journalists to work with the government and embrace developmental programmes that can change their lives and those of communities. “I believe that money will elevate you from one step to another."

Mr Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi, the Masaka City Deputy Resident Commissioner, advised journalists to stick to the journalistic code of ethics and also venture into investigative journalism.

“Make a research on the information you would like to disseminate to the public and also be careful with the Computer Misuse Act (Amendment) of 2022 to avoid its consequences”

Ever since the government started releasing the YLP and UWEP funds in 2011, both projects have been shrouded in controversy over the alleged improper management of the funds.

In January 2017, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development took an administrative decision to suspend the disbursement of YLP funds in 97 districts, whose repayment rate was below 50 per cent.

This came after many local authorities failed to supervise, monitor and the funds, which prompted many beneficiaries to default in repayment of the money.