President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed that the repayment period of Emyooga and Parish Development Model (PDM) funds be extended to two years.

The President issued the directive while addressing the NRM Parliamentary Caucus during the ongoing 10-days mid-term government performance retreat, at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi on Tuesday, May 30, 2023.

According to President Museveni, the borrower should pay back the money in a period of 24 months.

“For avoidance of doubt, I don’t want to hear anybody paying back the Emyooga money in a period less than 24 months, you start paying back after twelve months. And the borrower decides to pay either all money at ago or in instalments but finish within 24 months.That’s my directive,” he directed.

President Museveni’s directive follows complaints from whistle blowers about pressures mounted on beneficiaries requiring them to pay back the loans in four months.

He asked the State Minister for Micro Finance and Cooperatives, Haruna Kasolo to explain to members of the Caucus on the irregularities involved in the programs.

“With the group of Kasolo, who started asking for money to be paid back for Emyooga in four months, I got this from intelligence. Why do you want people to pay in four months? Though Kasolo denied, but he should clarify the suspicion here,” President Museveni said.

The President expressed his disappointment on the corrupt leaders that are trying to de-campaign and fail the programs, by conniving with businessmen and giving them PDM and Emyooga funds to make purchases outside the country like China.

“But I hear, there is an accusation which Kasolo should clarify to you that some of the businessmen were getting this money to import products from China and come back and pay, but the money doesn’t go to the people we want, but becomes cheap money for importers,” he said.

President Museveni asked the organizers to make arrangements and invite Brig Gen. Henry Isoke to brief the Caucus members on corruption related issues involved in Emyooga and PDM programs.

“I think at some stage you can invite Brigadier Isoke to come and brief you on the cases of dishonesty which we found there, and some of them have been arrested, where there was corruption,” he said.

He also noted that even if there was no corruption, there is a lot of stumpede, citing one of the wards in Gulu City where members never formed the parish Saccos well due to the pressure from the headquarters (Deus Garabuzi who stampeded members) and gave a short time to form Saccos.

The President added that the Sacco was instead formed by eight people from the district under the Commercial officer.

“The few inspection trips I have done in Acholi, West Nile and recently in Masaka, you can see some cases of lack of connection. First of all, corruption by some of the people stealing and asking for money,” he noted.

He however, guided that the leaders on ground should report any irregularities and asked them to inform people about Emyooga and PDM programs.

President Museveni added that the beneficiaries should come out and ask for more grace period instead of struggling and keeping issues to themselves.

“If you who is on ground find any problem, come and report truthfully. Don’t try to stampede, but ask for more time ‘okuralika’ (to inform people but with a purpose to alert people early),” he added.

Emyooga and PDM programs are initiatives of President Museveni targeting low income earners with an aim of eradicating poverty in Uganda.