Government reaffirms Shs 2bn pledge to South Africa returnees

What the report says

The Ugandan government has restated its promise to provide Shs 2 billion to citizens who returned from South Africa after xenophobic attacks earlier this year, according to The Observer. The money is intended to help the returnees, who lost livelihoods when they left South Africa, and President Yoweri Museveni had previously pledged the funds for a new savings and credit cooperative they were encouraged to form.

The report says the latest remarks came last week during a financial literacy graduation organised by Enterprise Uganda with Equity Bank Uganda, after a two-day training on financial management and entrepreneurship. Dickson Ogwang Okul, a foreign service officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the returnees to use any support wisely and said government was working to help the remaining 700 Ugandans still in South Africa come home safely.

The article also quotes returnee leaders and support organisations saying many of the affected people are still struggling to rebuild their lives in Uganda. Mathias Baguma, chairperson of the returnees, said more help was needed, while Equity Bank said it would offer affordable loans. Enterprise Uganda said many returnees lack local collateral, business records or property, so they need specialised support to restart businesses. The developments highlight the wider challenge of reintegrating people who spent years abroad and returned with limited assets or formal credit history.