The National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) party has blamed the government for the loss of Ugx 165 Billion which was meant to rehabilitate Cooperatives around the country.

This follows the State Minister for Cooperatives, Harriet Nabatanzi’s revelation saying that, more than 30 MPs are being investigated for their involvement in embezzling funds meant for Cooperatives.

Asuman Odaka, the Secretary General for NEED during a press conference that took place at the party offices in Rubaga on December 11, 2023, claimed that these investigations are meant to blackmail opposition Members of Parliament (MPs).

“We have so many questions in regards to this money. Because, how did the Members of Parliament manage to access the money and why have the investigations been revealed now if it’s not a trap to blackmail them?” he queried.

He added that, these allegations are meant to divert the opposition MPs and Ugandans at large from demanding for the people that government abducted.

“Opposition MPs should not allow to get diverted from the issue of human rights and abductions that have continually happened to opposition voters and the mistreatment of Muslims in this country,” Odaka added.

Investigation into the alleged mismanagement of government funds meant for Cooperative societies/ unions started in September, 2023, where it was discovered that most Cooperatives did not receive all the money that was allocated to them by the government.