SACCO petitions government on tea stabilization and a single regulatory.
By Chris Mugasha
Delegates of Kyamuhunga People’s SACCO (KYAPS) yesterday elected new leaders on its Board of Directors (BOD) with a call on the new leadership to manage, sustain and double the growth of the SACCO.
Paul Kahiigi Turyamureba was re-elected unopposed to spearhead KYAPS’s growth as Board of Directors chairperson for the next four years.
Rev.Fr Ayebare Mukasa Barekye was maintained as the SACCO’s treasurer. Other members elected to the Board are; Turyamuhaki Enock a young entrepreneur in the region, Kyokunda Christine, Mary Ninsiima, Angela Musimenta and Alex Bangyereza.
Officiating at the SACCO’s 26th annual general meeting that was held at Kyamuhunga Catholic Parish social hall in Kyamuhunga town council Bushenyi district on Saturday, the Assistant Commissioner for Cooperatives in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Co-operatives, Robert Mpakibi who represented the registrar of co-operatives congratulated and commended KYAPS for its impact on the cooperative movement/industry.
Caption: Some of the best performing staff receiving gifts at the AGM.
KYAPS started in 1998 and since then it has grown its membership to over 52000 with 12 branches spread in the districts of Bushenyi, Mitooma, Ntungamo, Kanungu, and Mbarara city, Kabarole, Kamwenge and Rubirizi.
The commissioner challenged KYAPS leadership to manage challenges that come with growth and to intensify creativity. “We’re trading a very fragile product (money),” he warned.
Paul Kahiigi used the opportunity to petition government to create a single regulator that understands the norms and practices of SACCOs so as to grow the entire SACCO industry as a whole without singling out a few SACCOs. Kahiigi proposed that, “a good case study can be done in the neighboring country-Kenya where SACCOs have a single regulator and have as a result grown even bigger than some commercial banks.”
Currently, SACCOs are regulated by three bodies that include; Bank of Uganda, Registrar of cooperatives and the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA.)
Among the challenges Kahiigi said have hindered their growth include the collapsing of the tea industry which has left many people with no source of income. He explained that they have already started to encourage people especially those who have been depending only on tea to diversify and have alternative sources of income to avoid such current scenarios which have hit the tea industry. KYAPS operates from areas which are predominantly for tea growing.
The KYAPS general manager JohnBosco Atwijukire said the decline in tea industry has greatly affected their operations.
“We appeal to our President His. Excellency Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to see how he can intervene and save the situation because many Ugandans in tea growing areas are suffering and they are likely to fail to send their children to schools because of this setback,” Atwijukire appealed.
In their 2024 performance report, they had anticipated making a Shs3.118billion profit but with the prevailing situation especially in the tea sector, they couldn’t realize the target. Instead they posted a Sh1.9billion profit.
A Kilogram of green tea-leaves fell from Sh600= to about Shs250=. Out of the Shs250, a tea plucker takes shs150= leaving the farmer with just Shs50 of which he also has to spend on applying fertilizer and other inputs since tea thrives on fertilizer for better yields.
Some farmers have been forced to abandon their tea plantations while some have left them to workers/tea pluckers.
Atwijukire explained that despite the challenges they have continued to register growth and serving their members across the 12 branches. The SACCO is currently constructing a modern office block in Butare town-Kyamuhunga which will house the Head offices.
Environmental protection
Kahiigi said upon realization of the negative impacts of climate change, they have embarked on sensitizing and supporting the members on issues of environmental conservation to have a sustainable business.
Among the interventions include tree planting, promotion of using clean energy like biogas, gas for cooking and setting in place a special loan rate for those venturing into environmentally friendly projects.
“The good practices will enhance implementation of Biodiversity, adaptation and mitigation measures,” he reported.
As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), KYAPS also announced 18 students to benefit from its bursary scheme. Of these, 8 are undergoing technical education training, 09 are in A’Level and one student doing nursing in different institutions. The above will follow the 37 former students who were supported KYAPS to complete their studies and are already working in different fields.
Over Shs495million also went to supporting over 104 families of its members who died in 2024 with each family getting a support of Sh5million.
Caption: KYAPS leaders gifting some of the longest serving staff who included Joseph Bahame (Credit manager) and Micheal a credit officer. End.
