Commissioner of Parliament Prossy Akampurira Mbabazi has stated that she utilized her contentious Shs400 million ‘service award’ to establish Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (Saccos) in her constituency.
The Rubanda District Woman Member of Parliament (MP) asserted that these Saccos were aimed at “driving women into the cash economy.”
Allegations of Misappropriation
Akampurira, alongside three other parliamentarians—Mathias Mpuuga, Esther Afoyochan, and Solomon Silwanyi—faces censure for allegedly misappropriating Shs1.7 billion as a ‘service award.’
“If I were selfish, I would have used the money to buy a luxurious private car or something else,” Akampurira remarked during the belated International Women’s Day celebrations for Rubanda District.
She added, “These village Saccos will supplement government programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga. I am not a thief.”
Contributions to Healthcare
At the event held at Kacerere Playground in Kacerere Town Council, Akampurira presented a Shs25 million ultrasound scan machine to aid pregnant mothers in the district.
In August last year, she launched the ‘Prosperous Women Rubanda’ (PWR) project, which supports numerous village groups, each receiving about Shs400,000 as seed capital.
Minister’s Warning Against Voter Appeasement
State Minister for Finance Henry Musasizi, in his address at the celebration, cautioned leaders against attempting to appease voters through improper means.
“I imagine some MPs 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 encouraged Ugandan women to engage in economic activities that can enhance their household income.
Support for Farmers and Pregnant Mothers
Rubanda West MP Moses Kamuntu handed over mama-kits to the district health office and praised President Museveni for allowing the people of Kigezi Sub-region to continue utilizing wetlands and lowlands for agriculture.
“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 delivery,” Kamuntu said on Friday.
