By Sadique Bamwita
KAMPALA
The President General of Uganda Liberal Teachers Union (ULITU) members SACCO, Evans Mutesasira Kaganizo plus the presidents of Uganda Professional science Teachers Union SACCO and Uganda Private schools Teachers Labor Union Sacco, are at risk of arrest over Shs.20billion.
The Shs20 billion was awarded to their SACCOs by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in fulfillment of his pledge he made during the 2023 World teachers day that was held on October 5, 2023 at Kololo Independence grounds.
During this year’s belated Teachers day held on October 19, 2024, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni fulfilled this pledge and signed a dummy cheque worth Shs20 billion for the said teachers SACCOS.
Each teachers’ SACCO received Shs 6.6 billion and on November 4, 2024, the Uganda Professional science Teachers Union Sacco and Uganda Private Schools Teachers Labor Union both received cash on their respective Sacco accounts, while the Uganda Liberal Teachers Union Sacco received cash on its Sacco account on November 18, 2024.
It’s reported that the three teachers SACCOS allegedly flouted the principles of cooperatives which provide that:
‘A Sacco can deal with a non-member upon issuance of a certificate of no objection by the registrar of cooperatives.
‘Any financial institution is supposed to cooperate upon issuance of a certificate of operation by the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA).
‘Saccos are ought to have filed returns to Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority and registrar of cooperatives.
‘A Sacco must hold an Annual general meeting but sadly all the three Saccos have not held any annual general meeting for the last 5years.
‘Approvals for Saccos to get money ought to have been cleared by the solicitor general.
‘A Sacco must have a valid certificate of operation from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
However, it’s said that Evans Mutesasira and the heads of the other two Saccos flouted the procurement procedures on grounds that no single vote sat to approve the procedure. It also said the three Saccos are faced with leadership problems yet every three years they must hold elections for Sacco leaders but unfortunately for the last 5years no annual general meeting has been held to discuss the election of Sacco leaders.
Mr. Evans Mutesasira who spoke recently on the teachers day on behalf of the seven national teachers Saccos is said to be the board chair, Sacco manager, president general and everything for his Uganda Liberal teachers Union(ULITU) hence posing a leadership crisis for his Sacco.
Because of the bickering at the three teachers Saccos, Mr. Mutesasira recently faced it rough when he attempted to withdraw Shs 2 billion from his Uganda Liberal Teachers Union Sacco account purporting to use Shs 1.4 billion to buy office land while the remaining Shs 600 million was to be paid for consultancy. Mutesasira’s Sacco members also accuse him of first withdrawing Shs. 74 million from the Sacco account to organize a workshop for Sacco members but the members say the workshop could have cost less than Shs 50 million given the way it was organized.
The heightened squabbles at the three teachers Saccos have attracted the police criminal investigations director and state House Anti-corruption Unit to pen a letter to the permanent secretary Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperative informing her that they are conducting investigations into allegations of corruptions in payment of Shs .20 billion by the Ministry of Finance planning and Economic development in the Financial year 2024 /2025.
In a letter dated November 22, 2024 written by Mr. Fred Lumala, the Deputy Director CID, Economic fraud and Anti-corruption addressed to the permanent secretary Ministry of Trade, Industry & Cooperatives reads in parts:
“ The Criminal Investigations directorate in conjunction with the state house Anti-corruption unit is conducting investigations into allegations of corruption in payment of Shs .20 billion to three teachers Saccos by the Ministry of Finance planning and Economic Development in the financial year 2024/2025.
‘The purpose of this communication is to request you avail us with certified copies of registration files for the following SACCOS:
- Uganda Professional science teachers Union members’ Sacco.
- Uganda Liberal Teachers’ Union members’ Sacco
- Uganda Private Schools’ Teachers Labor Union Members’ Sacco.
The letter further concludes that Detective Superintendent of police Sowedi Mohammed is assigned to receive the requested information.
However when this reporter contacted Mr. Mutesasira Kaganizo on whatsapp for a comment on the said allegations he said:
“We have been having Sacco Executive board meetings every month. We even had an extraordinary General members Sacco meeting in September. This is hot air propaganda and get a trace of such a transaction,’ Mr. Mutesasira played down the allegations.
It should be recalled that in May 2021, Mr. Evans Mutesasira Kaganizo was suspended as the president of Uganda Liberal Teachers union over abuse of office. He was replaced with his vice president Christine Wadiko, who acted for some months but after pleading with the Executive committee members he was pardoned and reinstated. Kaganizo’s suspension from office followed an extraordinary meeting that sat on May 8, 2021 at Romeos Hotel in Luzira, and during this meeting the executive members unanimously agreed to suspend him to allow investigations take place on accusations of abuse of office leveled against him.
The meeting that suspended him was attended by 14 out of 18 National Executive members after embattled Kaganizo had earlier knifed his Union Secretary General Jackson Erima and the National treasurer Micheal Max Mboizi. The executive committee members further accused Kaganizo of not being a fully paid member of Uganda Liberal Teachers Union since he had no formal employment following his dismissal from Bweranyangi Girls secondary school 25 years ago.
