Adopted from: Reality Check Uganda
The money donated by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to Mulago Washing Bay SACCOS has gone missing.
The 100 million shillings donated by President Museveni to Mulago car washers on14th june 2016 cannot be traced.
President Museveni had surprised the nation weeks after being sworn into office for his current term when he made an impromptu visit to Mulago washing bay and donated a cheque worth 100 million shillings and eight machines.
According to the President the money was meant to be put into a SACCOS where members would borrow to finance activities that can uplift their incomes while the machines were to aid their work.
But an investigations carried out by Reality Check Uganda indicates the money was misappropriated shortly by members of the SACOSS.
Several members of the SACCOS who spoke to Reality Check Uganda say the money was squandered as soon as it was received into the account of the SACCOS.
The members of Mulago Eden car washers claim that the money was received by people who are not into the business of car washing. They point cite a case of a man from from Kasubi who was not a member in their group but got a loan of five million and shortly left for Dubai without paying back the loan.
Mr. Wambere Steven one of the car washers claims that they did not receive any single coin despite being members of the SACOS.
Alon Kabuye another car washer at Business Center washing bay in Mulago said that the money was secretly given out to some members. He said the best way would have been to divide the money equally to all the members than putting in the SACOS.
John Bosco Kilyowa a car washer claimed that the President gave them junk machines. Kilyowa said the machines were tested in the presence of the President and they failed to start.
He said that the president would have left them to buy the machines themselves since the ones that were brought to them were too fake.
However the vice Chairperson of Mulago Car Washers SACCO Henry Seguja claim that they used that the money to develop the washing bay. He also explained that some members of the SACOSS who acquired the loans managed to finish their houses and others to take back their children to take their children to school.
He however added that people who acquired the loan failed to pay back the money and hence led to the closure of the SACCO offices.
Seguja explains that 100 million shillings was given out but none paid back and that even members of the committee who got the money have since disappeared. He says he is in the process of involving the police in the recovery of the money.
But a car washer who identified himself only as John Bosco insists President Museveni should go back to the washing bay and demand accountability for the money and the machines.
President Museveni has of late been offering sacks of money to youth groups in Kampala in a bid to improve their income. However there’s no evidence that the donation is used to finance income generating projects.
