VANESSA A
North Kigezi Diocese SACCO has today held its 12th Annual General Meeting, bringing together members, leaders, and stakeholders to review achievements and plan for the future.
The Chief Guest of Honor, Mr. Fred Mucunguzi, retired secondary school headteacher and Chairman of the Board of Governors at Makobore High School, representing Boaz Rutera, expressed gratitude to those who initiated the SACCO and commended its growth. He pledged to continue mobilizing more members and encouraged an increase in capital shares. Mr. Mucunguzi also urged Christians to start income-generating projects, such as coffee growing, to lift families out of poverty and support the SACCO. He called for discipline among loan defaulters to ensure timely repayment.
The SACCO Patron, The Rt. Rev. Onesmus Asiimwe, Bishop of North Kigezi Diocese, encouraged members to buy more shares, noting that a SACCO cannot grow without active member participation. He urged members to have a broader vision, give generously, and attract wealthy individuals to join the SACCO. Bishop Asiimwe also called for digital transformation, encouraging members to use mobile banking for savings and to build trust in handling money. He appealed for collaboration in mobilizing new members and voting for hardworking leaders. Highlighting the SACCO’s role in supporting staff, he emphasized that all school workers’ salaries would grow through the SACCO. He also assured members that he was following up on the promised 100 million UGX from the President of the Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, while encouraging members to continue growing the SACCO and fighting poverty in their households.
The day’s facilitator, Madam Joselyn Kabarembo Ntambirwekyi, thanked members for supporting the SACCO through its growth stages. She reminded them that the SACCO belongs to them and urged them to save diligently, embrace technology through mobile banking, and bring in new members. She further appealed to the Board and management to introduce target savings, plan for long-term savings for old age, buy more shares, and ensure timely loan repayments as a way of strengthening the SACCO.
In his remarks, The Very Rev. Dickens Baguma, Chairman of the Board, expressed appreciation to the Diocese, led by Bishop Asiimwe, for supporting staff salaries, which has helped the SACCO grow. He highlighted the SACCO’s achievements, including reaching 2,822 members, introducing new loan products like the Omukazi Womutima Loan, and opening two outreach centers in Nyakyishenyi and Bwambara. He also noted challenges, such as competition from money lenders, loan defaulters, low saving culture, and dormant accounts. Future plans include adopting a delegation system to reduce AGM costs and increasing the capital base through partnerships with various organizations. He urged members to work together to overcome these challenges by bringing in more people and saving more.
The SACCO Manager, Ronald Kansiime, echoed the call for members to buy more shares to ensure sufficient funds for loans and expansion. He promised that the SACCO will soon reach underserved areas and introduce more products to benefit members, urging everyone to continue trusting the SACCO with their money.
