President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has once again shown strong support for ghetto youth by injecting an additional shs 1.2 billion into their Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs). This move brings the total government support for the project to over shs 2.4 billion, aimed at improving the lives of young people living in Kampala’s urban ghettos.
On Thursday, July 10, during a visit to Kasokoso Ghetto, the President praised the impressive progress made by the youth. He credited this success to the leadership of Major General Christopher Damulira, Director of Crime Intelligence in the Uganda Police Force. Since 2022, Gen. Damulira has quietly led a project to organize, empower, and rehabilitate ghetto youth through SACCOs, helping them shift from criminal activities to productive businesses.
In the program’s first phase, shs 1.2 billion had already been given to support 12 SACCOs in areas like Rubaga Kakeeka, Nakawa, Kawempe, Kasangati, Nansana, Masajja Para, Mukono Industrial Zone, and others. These SACCOs used the funds to start income-generating projects including salons, carpentry, boda boda businesses, farming, and other small enterprises.
President Museveni said he was “deeply impressed by the way the youth have utilized the funds,” and because of this success, he announced another shs 100 million for each of the 12 SACCOs. He described the project as proof that “ghetto youth can choose development over disorder” and urged them to remain focused on building their futures through honest work.
According to government reports, the SACCOs now have over 3,000 registered savers and have collected more than shs 13.7 million in voluntary savings. The youth groups also have strong management systems in place, which helped earn the President’s trust and led to continued government investment.
Museveni further revealed that these SACCOs may soon be integrated into larger national development programs like the Emyooga Initiative and the Parish Development Model (PDM), giving them more opportunities to grow.
With continued support from both the government and the community, the Ghetto SACCO model is proving to be a powerful tool in the fight against urban poverty and crime—transforming lives, one shilling at a time.
