Pader youth, women urged to use Shs1.9bn loans productively

2 October 2026, 5:45 am

By Geoffrey Okwong

Pader District leaders have urged youth and women’s groups benefiting from government livelihood programmes to invest their loans productively and improve repayment rates, amid concerns over low recovery of funds disbursed under the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) and Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP).

The district has so far disbursed more than Shs 1.9 billion to youth and women’s groups under the two programmes, but recovery remains low, raising concerns about the sustainability of the revolving funds and the ability of other groups to benefit.

During a meeting with youth and women’s group leaders, Pader LC V Chairperson Alfred Akena called on beneficiaries to use the funds for their intended purposes rather than sharing the money among themselves.

Akena warned that he would not tolerate groups that misuse the funds or distribute the loans among members instead of investing in income-generating activities that could improve their livelihoods.

He also urged youth leaders to mobilise more young people to participate in the programmes and ensure that beneficiaries understand their responsibilities.

Akena said the programmes were intended to improve household incomes and create economic opportunities for young people and women, adding that beneficiaries needed to take advantage of the available government support.

He further cautioned group leaders against mismanaging the funds, saying the district would continue monitoring the implementation of the programmes.

The chairperson also announced additional government funding for the current financial year, with Shs 50.4 million allocated to UWEP and Shs 22 million to YLP.

He said the additional funds would benefit another batch of groups that had already been identified but were yet to receive the money.

Akena called on Komakech, Catherine, Brose and Nancy to participate in the process of selecting and allocating the funds to ensure transparency and fairness.

He said unfair allocation of the resources could create divisions, complaints and dissatisfaction among community members.

He urged those involved in the selection process to ensure that the next beneficiaries were treated fairly, reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting youth and women’s economic empowerment.

Meanwhile, the district’s Community Development Officer, Festo Okidi, provided an update on the performance of the two programmes, highlighting the low recovery rates and the need for beneficiaries to improve repayment.

Under YLP, the district has disbursed approximately Shs 1.234 billion to 126 groups, of which about Shs 183 million has been recovered.

UWEP has received Shs 685.77 million, disbursed to 87 women’s groups, with approximately Shs 66.99 million recovered. The three additional groups recently incorporated into the programme have brought the total number of beneficiary women’s groups to 90.

Okidi emphasised the importance of recovering the loans to enable other eligible groups to access the funds and benefit from the government programmes.

He also highlighted the importance of proper management of the funds, encouraging beneficiaries to invest in activities that generate income and enable them to repay their loans.

He cited a group in Pajule as an example of beneficiaries seeking additional funding to expand their activities, illustrating the potential of the programmes when funds are put to productive use.

Assistant Resident District Commissioner Boniface Pule also called for accountability, proper record-keeping and regular monitoring of the groups to ensure that the funds achieve their intended objectives.

Pule urged group leaders to work together and maintain transparency in managing the loans, noting that accountability was essential for the success of the programmes.

The loans under YLP and UWEP are expected to be repaid within three years, allowing the recovered money to be lent to other groups.

However, the low recovery rates remain a concern for district leaders, who say beneficiaries must treat the funds as revolving loans rather than grants.

The leaders have therefore called on youth and women’s groups to invest the money in viable enterprises, improve repayment and ensure that more community members benefit from the programmes.