Only Shs 10m of Shs 710m youth funds recovered in Namisindwa in 10 years

Only Shs 10 million of the Shs 710 million funds  (1.4 per cent) disbursed under the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) in Namisindwa has been recovered since 2013. 

Andrew Wabweni, Namisindwa district community development officer, emphasized that since these funds were intended to be a revolving fund and the poor recovery rate has restricted their ability to provide financial support to other youth groups. 

Wabweni also noted that many of the youths who received funding have since migrated to Kenya, making it challenging to trace and recover the borrowed money. 

He urged local leaders at the village level to educate the youth about the benefits of repaying the borrowed funds which would enable others to access financial support. Emma Bwayo, Namisindwa district male youth councilor, and Moses Waburoko, the Tsekuluku sub-county LC V councilor, pointed out that one of the reasons for the low recovery rate is that some technocrats deducted kickbacks from the funds they disbursed to the youths. 

This practice made it difficult for the groups to repay the full amount, as a portion of the money was misappropriated by the technocrats. Bwayo called upon the district to publicly disclose the names of youth beneficiaries along with the corresponding figures they received. This transparency, he argued, would assist local leaders in recovering the funds.

Dorothy Nebokhe Wolukawu, speaker of Namisindwa district commended the district chairperson for providing financial accountability for the 2022/23 fiscal year, ensuring that the local community is informed about the district’s service delivery.

She also highlighted the district’s achievement of meeting 80 per cent of its expectations but called upon the central government to increase road funding, as poor road infrastructure has been a hindrance to the district’s development.