I used Shs400m service award to start Saccos, says MP Akampurira
Rubanda District Woman MP Prossy Akampurira Mbabazi addresses a gathering during belated Women's Day celebrations in Rubanda District on June 28, 2024. PHOTO/ROBERT MUHEREZA
What you need to know:
- State minister for finance Henry Musasizi cautioned leaders against trying to appease voters.
Commissioner of parliament Prossy Akampurira Mbabazi has said that she used her controversial Shs400 million ‘service award’ to start Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (Saccos) in her constituency.
The Rubanda District woman Member of Parliament (MP) claims she supported Saccos “to drive women into the cash economy.”
Akampurira and three other parliamentarians (Mathias Mpuuga, Esther Afoyochan and Solomon Silwanyi) face censure for allegedly sharing Shs1.7billion unlawfully as a ‘service award.’
“If I was selfish, I would have used the money to buy a luxurious private car or any other thing,” Akampurira said during belated International Women's Day celebrations for Rubanda District.
She added: “These villages Saccos will supplement government programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga others. I am not a thief.”
During the event at Kacerere playground in Kacerere town Council, she handed over a Shs25milllion ultrasound scan machine to aid pregnant mothers in the district.
In August last year, Akampuriria reportedly started a project called ‘Prosperous Women Rubanda’ (PWR), aimed at supporting hundreds of village groups with each getting about Shs400,000 as seed capital.
Meanwhile, state minister for finance Henry Musasizi used his address at the belated celebration to caution leaders against trying to appease voters.
“I imagine some members of parliament implicated in swindling government money were trying to get resources to win support from their voters. Personally I have disarmed my political opponents by popularizing government programs,” Musasizi explained.
He appealed to Ugandan women to participate in economic activities that can boost their household income.
Rubanda West MP Moses Kamuntu handed over mama-Kits to the district health office and hailed President Museveni for allowing the people of Kigezi Sub-region to continue using the wetlands and lowlands as gardens.
“Use wetlands for crop production and not tree growing. No local leaders or government agents should intimidate our farmers by threatening to cut down their crops grown in wetlands. In the remaining two years, I will continue to supply mama-kits to help pregnant mothers during labor and after delivering their babies,” Kamuntu said on Friday.
