By Chris Mugasha
Members of Jubilee Sacco on Friday elected new Board of Directors with the Bishop of West Ankole Diocese Rt. Rev Johnson Twinomujuni challenging the new leaders to steer the SACCO to another level interms of growth. Jubilee SACCO was founded by the West Ankole Diocese.
Ven. Rev. Can Arthur Atwiine who is the Kitagata area Archdeacon was elected as BOD Chairperson, Daudi Bukomoko as Vice Person and Enid Tugume as Treasurer. Other members elected include Ven. Rev Laban Batungire, Ven. Rev John Makuru, Rev. Bwooki Moreen, Obed Tumusiime, Arinda Bernard and Jude Natamba.
During the SACCO’s 19th Annual general meeting that was held at Tuzza Hotel in Bushenyi town, the members also elected Edinah Kenyonyozi Natweta, Apollo Kamugasha and Rev Olive Kekimuri Tashobya to serve on the Supervisory Committee (SUPCO.) The elections were presided over by Bushenyi/Ishaka Municipal Principal Commercial officer Aggrey Ategyeka and the Bushenyi District Principal commercial officer Hope Komujuni.
Twinomujuni asked the new leadership to take the responsibility seriously saying it’s not just a matter of occupying positions and to boast around that they are members of Jubilee SACCO’s BOD members.
“If you don’t have time to lead the growth of this institution, just leave. This SACCO requires your full attendance of planning meetings, seminars, workshops,” the Bishop who doubles as the SACCO’s Patron said warning that, “don’t dodge meetings and later you come to confuse the general membership.”
The Bishop commended the outgoing BOD leadership led by Jonas Tumwiine who has been the SACCO’s BOD chairman since 2021 for providing a clear leadership that saw the SACCO’s membership grow from 6000 members in 2021 to 17000 members and doubling the SACCO’s asset base from Sh8Billion to Sh16billion despite the challenges of COVID-19. Tumwiine together with other members retired after serving their term of office.
Twinomujuni thanked the entire membership of Jubilee SACCO for working hard; noting that the growth of a SACCO like Jubilee depends on its member’s commitment and royalty towards their institution.
Bishop Johnson also encouraged the members to intensify the saving culture urging them not to despise even the little that one chooses to save. He cautioned them against expenses saying even the little expenses can lead one to collapse as he compared them (small expenses) to a small leak that can sink a ship.
The outgoing Chairperson BOD Jonas Tumwiine thanked the Bishop for the support rendered to the Sacco’s growth especially the intensified mobilizations.
Principal Commercial Officer Bushenyi – Ishaka Municipality Aggrey Ategyeka, applauded Jubilee Sacco as one of the best and compliant Saccos in the region, encouraging the Sacco leadership to add more effort on increasing returns on equity which will grow the Sacco stronger.
Retired Bishop William Magambo recalled how they chose to start Jubilee SACCO after a priest was arrested by a money lender. Magambo recalled that at the time, a number of priests were being harassed by money lenders. He further recalled how they started with just Sh8million. “I am happy to see that from Sh8million we now talk of Shs16 billion,” Magambo said.
Retired Bishop Yona Katoneene said, “I found Jubilee operating from a basement at Bweranyangi and shifted it to town at Katungu so that we could attract more members and grow business.”
Both Magambo and Katoneene hailed Bishop Twinomujuni for growing the SACCO’s strength to the extent of owning a building in Bushenyi town where it operates from with branches spread across the Greater Bushenyi region.
Jubilee SACCO intervenes in addressing climate change
At the meeting, Jubilee SACCO launched a tree planting campaign by distributing free tree seedlings to the members as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards mitigating the effects of climate change.
Tumwiine said there has been a lot of environmental degradation and this has affected the seasons as well as climate.
“As Jubilee SACCO, we join the rest of the World to inform our membership and entire community to preserve the environment for ourselves and the future generations,” Tumwiine said.
He advised the members and the entire community to engage in activities that protect the environment. He called upon the new leadership to continue supporting activities that contribute to saving the environment such as afforestation, use of renewable energy technologies, safe agricultural practices like mulching, proper waste management practices and limited use of plastics/polythene bags.
“Let us take this campaign seriously because once people don’t have what to harvest because of weather vagaries as a result of climate change, then there is no business,” Tumwiine warned as he signed out. End.
