Last week, I heard Mr. Orone Derrick, the Honorable Member of Parliament representing Gogonyo Constituency in Pallisa District, speaking on Super FM (a Buganda based radio station, which broadcasts in Luganda).

Speaking in Luganda, Hon. Orone asserted that the Emyooga funds that were deployed in and for Gogonyo were 100 percent well utilized. I heard him say something like he had confirmed that the funds were distributed to eighteen savings and credit associations (SACCOs).

From Hon. Orone’s output report on Emyooga, I am not able to decipher if the funds that were disbursed to the SACCOs were actually then put to their intended use; and or if the beneficiaries were actually the intended ones.

Emyooga is a presidential initiative intended to spur in Uganda:

• Wealth creation
• Job creation
• Improved household incomes

A detailed impact report from Hon. Orone, accompanied with case studies, would have made more sense and perhaps even would justify the Speaker’s decision to close Parliament for a whole week so that members can go to the grassroots to investigate the implementation of Emyooga.

The gist of Hon. Orone’s reporting, sadly, is consistent with the kind of output reporting that has become the norm for government officials. Providing the citizenry with reports that don’t demonstrate the intended impact. Case in point, for example:

“A total of 1,439,970 leaders of Associations and 42,707 SACCO leaders were trained in enterprise selection, mindset change, basic record keeping, SACCO governance, group dynamics, savings mobilisation, among others. In addition, 2,809 technical officers from various districts, municipalities, divisions and sub-counties were offered training of trainers’. By April 2021, the Microfinance had disbursed UGX 200 Bn to 6,394 Constituency-based SACCOs in 347 constituencies, 146 districts including cities.”

Ms. Petronina Hellen Masika, Deputy Director Microfinance Support Centre, quoted by the Uganda Media Centre

At best, the Emyooga reports from Hon. Orone and Ms. Masika, are half truths and are likely deliberately intended to divert our attention from the realities on the ground. Prove me wrong on this, share impact reports that are accompanied with detailed case studies on how Emyooga funds have created wealth, created jobs and have improved livelihoods.