SACCO leaders urged to stop giving loans to members with existing debts

29 May 2026, 9:27 am

By Otim Moses

The Kitgum District Principal Commercial Officer and focal person for the Parish Development Model (PDM), Mr Alex Opira, has appealed to SACCO leaders to stop issuing loans to members who already have outstanding loans within the same SACCOs.

Mr Opira made the remarks during a meeting held at the RDC boardroom in Kitgum with SACCO leaders from Chua East, Chua West and Kitgum Municipality. The meeting focused on reviewing progress and holding refresher discussions on the implementation of Emyooga activities in the district.

He said SACCO leaders should encourage members to actively participate in the growth of their SACCOs and strengthen efforts towards loan recovery. He further warned against managing SACCOs on the basis of political interests.

Mr Opira also emphasised the need for SACCOs to hold Annual General Meetings (AGMs), conduct audits of Emyooga groups and elect new leaders to steer the organisations effectively.

Speaking during the meeting, Rev. Ken Odongkara, Chairperson of Kitgum Municipality SACCO, said the SACCO currently has over 300 members and has established 10 tailoring groups.

He explained that the SACCO also plans to establish a school aimed at supporting young girls who have dropped out of school through skills development programmes to improve employment opportunities.

Rev. Odongkara said the SACCO has accumulated about Shs116 million since accessing loans between 2021 and 2025. However, he noted that one of the major challenges affecting the SACCO is poor attendance at Annual General Meetings, which makes it difficult to elect new leaders.

Meanwhile, Kitgum Assistant RDC, Mr Geoffrey Oguti, said some members failed to attend the meeting organised by Microfinance and the Office of the RDC because they had not received information about it, despite organisers expecting over 100 participants.

He urged SACCO leaders to begin preparations for AGMs and encouraged members to repay the loans they have borrowed. Mr Oguti added that the RDC’s office has introduced weekly Emyooga meetings with beneficiaries to assess progress and address challenges affecting implementation.