Museveni to increase SACCO funds as State House warns Tooro Skilling Hub beneficiaries against misuse

What the report says

State House has cautioned graduates from Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs in the Tooro region to use start-up loans for the businesses they were meant to support, saying President Yoweri Museveni is prepared to expand SACCO funding only if the revolving money is handled responsibly. The remarks were made by State House Comptroller Jane Barekye during a stakeholder meeting at the Tooro Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub in Kyenjojo District on August 18, 2026, according to Nile Post.

Barekye said the Shs50 million given to each district SACCO was designed as a pilot to help trainees convert vocational skills into income-generating enterprises. She urged beneficiaries to invest first, repay loans on time and avoid diverting the money to unrelated uses. She also asked local leaders to monitor the SACCOs closely and help ensure that funds reach qualified graduates and are used in the intended projects.

The meeting included State House officials, district leaders, SACCO officials and beneficiaries from the Tooro hub area, which serves Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa, Kamwenge, Fort Portal City, Bunyangabu, Kitagwenda and Kabarole. State House also said it had deployed a finance manager to improve oversight, while local leaders requested lighter access requirements for some youth who lack national IDs but can otherwise be verified.

The article says the programme was created to reduce the common problem of trained graduates lacking capital to start small businesses. Beneficiaries cited tailoring, carpentry and other trades as helping them earn an income, while leaders called for more support such as contracts for hub products and practical agricultural training at the model farm.