By Nelly Otto
JINJA
The eagerly awaited Fourth Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF IV.) is poised to bring about significant socio-economic transformation in Busoga and other regions beyond Northern Uganda.
Set to commence on 1st July,2-25, this phase will expand its reach to include districts in Busoga and Bunyoro sub-regions.
Hon. Florence Mutyabule, Senior Presidential Advisor on Poverty Alleviation in Busoga, has warmly welcomed the news, expressing her optimism about the program’s potential impact.
“…NUSAF 4 will go a long way in bolstering and stimulating socio-economic transformation in Busoga, a region that has long been challenged by poverty…,” she said.
Hon. Mutyabule emphasized the significance of NUSAF 4 in addressing poverty in Busoga, a region often referred to as Uganda’s national headquarters of poverty.
“This program will provide much-needed support to vulnerable households, enabling them to improve their socio-economic status and break the cycle of poverty,” she said.
She said it took her and other leaders from the sub region a lot of efforts to explain the need for the programme to extend beyond the northern districts which had experienced more than 20 years of insurgency led by the fugitive warlord Joseph Kony.
“…some of these people argued wrongly that it was unjustifiable for Busoga to benefit from NUSAF since it had never experienced any war for more than 100 years,”, Mrs. Mutyabule remarked.
According to information available, the now expanded NUSAF 4 will cover 4,064 parishes, 667,000 households, and up to 3.1 million beneficiaries across regions, including Bunyoro, Busoga, Teso, Karamoja, and Northern Uganda.
Officials say there is now a shift in focus because unlike previous phases, NUSAF 4 will prioritize household income improvement through direct financial support, aiming to boost production, income, and self-reliance.
The program aims to create 21,000 self-employment enterprises for youth beneficiaries.
NUSAF 4 will also partner with private sector investors and processors to enhance market access for beneficiaries.
Urging stakeholders, particularly leaders of all kinds, to mobilize residents, Hon. Mutyabule is calling upon all leaders, from local council officials to cultural leaders, to sensitize and mobilize our people to wholeheartedly embrace NUSAF 4.
This project, she says has the potential to change lives, and it’s crucial that we work together ensure its success
With its expanded reach and focus on household income improvement, NUSAF 4 is poised to make a meaningful impact in Busoga and beyond.
As Hon. Mutyabule aptly put it, “NUSAF 4 is a game-changer for our region, and we look forward to working with the government to ensure its successful implementation”.
“…NUSAF 4 will go a long way in bolstering and stimulating socio-economic transformation in Busoga, a region that has long been challenged by poverty…,” she said.
Unlike previous phases, NUSAF 4 will prioritize household income improvement through direct financial support, aiming to boost production, income, and self-reliance.
Employment Opportunities: The program aims to create 21,000 self-employment enterprises for youth beneficiaries. Private Sector Partnerships: NUSAF 4 will partner with private sector investors and processors to enhance market access for beneficiaries.
“…this program will provide much-needed support to vulnerable households, enabling them to improve their socio-economic status and break the cycle of poverty,” Mrs. Mutyabule said.
Urging stakeholders, particularly leaders of all kinds, to mobilize residents, Hon. Mutyabule said, “I call upon all leaders, from local council officials to cultural leaders, to sensitize and mobilize our people to wholeheartedly embrace NUSAF IV…”.
NUSAF IV, a successor of NUSAF III is a five-year initiative and is expected to benefit over three million beneficiaries through provision of improved inputs, investment capital and value addition equipment.
The government will implement the Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP) II in the 2025/2026 financial year.
The project is a World Bank-funded initiative implemented by government to address the social, economic and environmental needs of host communities in refugee-hosting districts.
It aims to improve access to basic services, expand economic opportunities and enhance environmental management.
According to officials, US$278 million has been secured to implement the initiative in the 2025/2026 and it will run for six years, targeting 3.5 million Ugandans.
The Minister of State, Office of the Prime Minister (Northern Uganda), Hon. Dr Kenneth Olusegun Omona pointed out that NUSAF IV will focus on stimulating production and supporting communities.
“…the government found it fitting that we have NUSAF IV, good enough we have been able to engage our development partners again to give us funds,” the former PPS to the president said.
The minister noted that despite the government’s initiative for NUSAF IV to develop Northern Uganda, some technocrats expressed reservations, citing the existing Parish Development Model (PDM) as an argument against the new program.
Latest reports say the Museveni-led government has finalized preparations for NUSAF IV with a Cabinet Paper to be presented for approval and acceptance of World Bank funding.
Established in 2002 by the Government of Uganda in partnership with the World Bank, NUSAF was launched in response to the devastating impact of the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency in Northern Uganda.
The Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) was conceived to address poverty and vulnerability in Northern Uganda.
Here’s an overview of its background, implementation, and purpose:
NUSAF was designed to provide income support and build resilience for poor and vulnerable households in Northern Uganda.
The program builds on the lessons of its previous phases, NUSAF1 and NUSAF2, with the goal of contributing to the operationalization of Uganda’s Social Protection Policy.
Implementation: The Third Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF3) is a five-year program implemented under the National Project Implementations, financed by a World Bank IDA loan of $130 million.
It became effective in March 2016. NUSAF3 has four components, namely: Labor Intensive Public Works: provides temporary employment opportunities for poor and vulnerable households.
Livelihood Investment Support: provides livelihood support to poor and vulnerable households to increase their productive assets and incomes
Strengthened Transparency, Accountability and Anti-Corruption: improves transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption efforts in northern Uganda
Safety Net Mechanisms and Project Management: provides institutional support for project implementation and development of social protection operational tools
The primary objectives of NUSAF are to provide effective income support to and build resilience of poor and vulnerable households in Northern Uganda.
It also aims to enhance transparency and accountability in public service delivery in northern Uganda and to strengthen institutional capacity to implement, monitor, and evaluate the project.
