Latest UPDF spouses’ gains under Presidential Support Fund

The UPDF’s Spouses Desk has had a stakeholders’ workshop for the Presidential Support Fund (PSF) to review project performance, assess progress.

Held at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs headquarters in Mbuya, Kampala, the workshop was also used to share experiences and strategies for sustaining PSF achievements.

Senior officers, project implementers, and beneficiaries all attended and evaluated outcomes and strengthened future implementation efforts.

Launched in 2019 by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the PSF was created to support Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) for spouses of UPDF personnel.

The initiative aims to equip spouses with practical skills, promote self-reliance, improve household income, and strengthen confidence and social capital while fostering a culture of saving and access to microfinance.

Operationalised in 2020, the fund targets spouses of UPDF personnel who are not salaried staff or defence workers. It now operates in 32 units nationwide.

A statement from the UPDF shared on February 20 revealed that from the initial shs1.9 billion disbursed to 27 units, the SACCO has, as of January 31, registered an additional shs210 million mobilised internally through profits and surplus remittances from member units.

Representing the Joint Staff Political Commissariat, the Director Civil-Military Cooperation, Brigadier General Michael Kibuye, commended the organisers for a successful workshop.

“Such workshops are important because they provide an opportunity for members to meet, interact, and share both success stories and challenges,” he said, noting that the meeting reviewed five years of project performance and assessed both benefits and challenges.

He commended Rebecca Mugume Kusaasira, the Principal Social Development Officer at the UPDF Spouses Desk, for effectively managing the project and organising the workshop, noting that regular reviews enhance efficiency.

Deputy Joint Staff Political Commissariat Col Nelson Aheebwa paid tribute to the architects of the PSF project, expressing satisfaction with its growth from less than shs2 billion to over shs5 billion in five years.

“The project has integrated the spouses of soldiers into the money economy, raising soldiers’ morale. Increased morale contributes to national stability,” he said.

According to Col Aheebwa, the ideological grounding and discipline have played a vital role in the project’s success, noting that the Commissariat will continue nurturing the fund until it becomes fully self-sustaining.

Mugume applauded the success of the women’s revolving fund and expressed gratitude to the President for his vision in establishing the initiative.

“The programme aligns directly with the Ministry’s mandate to improve welfare by enhancing the lives of soldiers’ spouses through income generation and sustainable impact,” she said.

She noted that the PSF has strengthened women’s participation in income-generating activities, improved household incomes, enhanced access to credit, and promoted a savings culture.

The revolving fund mechanism, she explained, ensures continuity, accountability, and equitable access, enabling more women to benefit over time while promoting family harmony.

Spouses are doing cattle fattening, goat rearing, piggery, crop farming (maize, groundnuts, and sorghum), market vending, hairdressing, poultry keeping, and retail businesses.

Komuhangi Mariam, who established a tailoring workshop in Bombo Barracks has employed several women.

Adiba Florence of Katabi Barracks, who expanded her snacks business, doubled her income to approximately shs600,000 per month, and Daphine Kobusinge of Jinja Cantonment progressed from selling homemade juice to operating a boutique offering cold drinks and secretarial services, increasing daily earnings from shs10,000 to shs40,000.

The Twezimbe Women’s Group from SFC Luttamaguzi Barracks in Entebbe-Kigungu operates a dairy project.

After receiving loans of shsmillion in 2021 and shs10 million later, the group now owns 13 animals, including cows and bulls, and manages a revolving loan portfolio exceeding shs10 million.

The group projects shs35 million in profits over the next five years.