President Yoweri Museveni has donated 100 million Shillings to Kamwokya ghetto based groups, URN reports.
The money was delivered this morning to six groups at Harvest Church, Kamwokya by a number of government and State House officials led by Col Shaban Bantariza. Two groups received 30 million Shillings each while the other four groups received 10 million Shillings each.
The groups are; Chamuka Youth Development Kamwokya (30 million), New Kamwokya Tax Drivers and Conductors Association (30 million), Kamwokya Women’s Twezimbe Group (10 million), Kamwokya Youth Bodaboda Group (10 million), Kamwokya Twegatte Development Association (10 million) and Kamwokya Washing Bay Youth Group (10 million).
Col Bantariza, the Deputy Government Spokesperson appealed to ghetto people to stop fighting and concentrate on initiatives that will develop them at a personal level, their families and the area at large.
Bantariza said that if the money is well utilized, they will report back to the president and lobby for more donations so that groups which never received money today equally benefit.
Bantariza dismissed arguments that the money is being dashed out to neutralize Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine who enjoys substantial support in the area. The musician turned politician’s music production office is located less than a kilometer from where the event to hand over the cheques was held. There were spontaneous protests in the area following Bobi Wine arrest last month after Arua fracas.
Bantariza argued that Museveni has been giving donations to various groups and this initiative will continue across the country. The donations, he argued are not about Bobi Wine but helping the needy youth across the country.
However, none of the groups had a clear plan for utilizing the money. Lutaakome Emmanuel, the Chairman of New Kamwokya Tax Drivers and Conductors Association told Uganda Radio Network that they will convene and discuss what to do with the money.
Galiwango Degeya, the chairman of Kamwokya Twegatte Development Association equally said they have no immediate plan on how to use the money. He said that the 10 million Shilling which they received is not enough for an association of 64 members and feared that instead, the money is likely to cause chaos.
However, Degeya added that whereas Museveni could have donated the money due to the pressure mounted on the state by Bobi Wine, the ghetto people are Ugandans who should receive their share of the national cake.
Nafula Grace, the chairperson of Kamwokya Women’s Twezimbe Group said they will use the money to offer small loans to group members.
