JINJA – Minister for the Presidency Babirye Milly Babalanda has cautioned political, administrative and technical leaders in the Busoga sub-region against corruption, favouritism and political interference in the implementation of the US$276 million Northern Uganda Social Action Fund Phase IV (NUSAF IV).
Babalanda said the success of the programme would depend on transparency, accountability and the ability of leaders to ensure that government resources reach the intended beneficiaries rather than being diverted for personal or political gain.
The minister made the remarks yesterday at Jinja Nile Resort while addressing Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs), district chairpersons, mayors, Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), Town Clerks, councillors and other local government officials during an engagement ahead of the programme’s rollout in Busoga.
She warned leaders against turning the poverty alleviation initiative into a political reward system, insisting that beneficiaries must be selected based on established eligibility criteria rather than their political affiliations.
“No leader should demand that beneficiaries belong to a particular political group, pay a fee, offer a kickback or surrender part of their grant,” she cautioned.
Babalanda, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Budiope West, said the programme should be judged by the number of households lifted out of poverty rather than the amount of money spent.
“As a daughter of Busoga and Minister for the Presidency, I have a particular responsibility to ensure that this programme succeeds. I understand the aspirations of our people, the challenges facing our communities and the enormous potential that remains untapped,” she said.
She noted that despite Busoga’s fertile soils, abundant water resources and agricultural potential, poverty, unemployment among young people and food insecurity continue to affect many households.
According to figures presented during the engagement, approximately 840,700 people in the sub-region account for about 12 per cent of Uganda’s poor population, highlighting the need for interventions that can translate public investment into improved household livelihoods.
RDCs tasked with monitoring programme implementation
As the minister responsible for supervising RDCs, Babalanda challenged the presidential representatives to take an active role in monitoring the implementation of NUSAF IV.
She directed them to regularly visit project sites and beneficiary communities, verify whether eligible households are receiving support, investigate suspected fraud and ensure that complaints are documented and addressed.
She warned against officials treating their oversight responsibilities as ceremonial assignments, emphasising that effective monitoring requires regular engagement with communities and physical verification of programme activities.
However, she cautioned that oversight should respect institutional mandates and must not interfere with the responsibilities of the Office of the Prime Minister, local governments and other programme implementation structures.
Babalanda also urged elected leaders, including district chairpersons and councillors, to mobilise communities, explain the programme’s objectives and encourage public participation without manipulating the beneficiary selection process.
She further tasked CAOs, Town Clerks and technical officers with ensuring that funds are properly managed, beneficiaries verified, payments accurately documented and implementation activities subjected to the required audits and safeguards.
The minister also warned against elite capture, where influential individuals use their positions or connections to secure programme benefits for themselves, relatives and associates at the expense of vulnerable households.
She called for strict adherence to beneficiary selection guidelines, community verification of beneficiary lists and the use of authorised payment channels.
Programme targets vulnerable households
Babalanda urged local government leaders to ensure that NUSAF IV complements existing government interventions, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) project and the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP).
She said better coordination among the initiatives would help beneficiaries access complementary support, agricultural extension services, savings opportunities and markets while preventing duplication and double financing.
The minister also called for accessible complaint-handling mechanisms to enable citizens to report irregularities involving beneficiary selection, delayed payments, suspected fraud and misconduct by public officials.
She outlined four areas that should guide programme monitoring: inclusion of vulnerable households, integrity in the management of resources, quality of service delivery and measurable improvements in household incomes, food security, employment and resilience.
“Let us ensure that NUSAF IV becomes a programme remembered not for the money it spent, but for the families it lifted, the enterprises it strengthened, the jobs it created and the dignity it restored,” she said.
Government extends NUSAF IV to Busoga
In a separate message delivered by Babalanda, the Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Beatrice Akello Akori, announced the rollout of NUSAF IV in Busoga, describing it as a significant milestone for a sub-region that had not previously benefited from the programme since its establishment in 2003.
The programme is implemented through 104 beneficiary local governments under the coordination of the Office of the Prime Minister and other government institutions, with financing from the World Bank amounting to US$276 million.
The financing comprises a US$250 million credit, while the programme is scheduled to run until December 2031.
NUSAF IV focuses on three major areas: sustainable livelihoods, resilience and human capital development, and strengthening social protection delivery systems.
Under the initiative, eligible poor rural households will receive grants of up to approximately Shs1 million, alongside business skills training, mentorship and market linkages.
Young people and women operating in the informal economy in selected urban centres will also benefit from entrepreneurship training and business grants.
Other interventions include climate-smart public works, nutrition support for mothers and young children, and direct assistance to extremely poor households unable to participate in public works.
Akello said Busoga was among the areas requiring significant investment in poverty reduction, with approximately 840,700 people living below the poverty line.
She noted that the sub-region, with a population exceeding 4.3 million across 15 local governments, is the most populous among the nine sub-regions benefiting from NUSAF IV.
6,200 mothers to benefit from nutrition support
The minister revealed that approximately 6,200 mothers with young children in Buyende, Mayuge and Namutumba districts would receive nutrition support and counselling aimed at addressing anaemia and stunting.
In Jinja City and the municipalities of Bugiri, Iganga and Kamuli, young people and women engaged in the informal economy are expected to benefit from entrepreneurship training and business grants.
Akello also highlighted the importance of establishing the National Social Registry to provide reliable household information for identifying and selecting beneficiaries of government social protection programmes.
She urged residents to register for National Identity Cards and provide accurate information during household registration exercises to support transparent beneficiary selection.
On accountability, she warned programme implementers against demanding money from prospective beneficiaries, emphasising that access to NUSAF IV support should not be subject to illegal charges or kickbacks.
She said the Inspectorate of Government would support monitoring through Community Monitoring Volunteers, community scorecards, interface meetings and investigations into complaints.
Beneficiaries will also be able to report grievances through SMS, USSD, WhatsApp, toll-free telephone lines and a web portal, while payments will be channelled through verified bank accounts and mobile money platforms.
Akello pledged to personally monitor implementation, including conducting unannounced visits to project sites and holding responsible officials accountable for any failures in programme delivery.
The rollout of NUSAF IV in Busoga is expected to expand access to livelihood support, enterprise development and social protection for vulnerable households, with local leaders expected to play a central role in ensuring that the programme achieves its intended objectives.