Published on 07/12/2025
Uganda Parliamentary Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (SACCO) is holding savings belonging to at least 34 deceased MPs, including former Kawempe South MP Muhammad Ssegirinya, because of fierce disputes among individuals claiming to be their spouses.
The disclosure was made by Buvuma County MP Robert Migadde, who also chairs the Parliamentary SACCO, during its Annual General Meeting on 28 November 2025.
Migadde said the SACCO cannot release the funds due to gaps in members’ records and ongoing family wrangles. “Some members didn’t fill in their bio-data forms and never indicated their next of kin. In other cases, the husband dies and you find four, five, or even six spouses fighting for the same resources. We find it very difficult to decide who to give this money,” he said.
He cited Ssegirinya’s case as the most contentious, noting that even the condolence contributions from MPs, each of whom contributed UGX 300,000, remain untouched because of unresolved family disputes. “We continue to encourage members to update their bio-data clearly indicating their next of kin to facilitate processing of their benefits,” Migadde added.
Presenting the SACCO’s performance, Migadde reported strong growth over the last five years. Loans and advances increased from UGX 7.96 billion in 2020/21 to UGX 25 billion by June 2025, while savings rose from UGX 17.1 billion to UGX 58 billion over the same period. Share capital also grew from UGX 3.3 billion in 2021 to UGX 5.7 billion by June 2025.
He said the SACCO has addressed delays in loan processing by recruiting additional staff. “We do our best to process loan requests within five hours, and we intend to maintain that,” he noted.
Methods Mureebe, the SACCO’s Chief Executive Officer, said a proposal to invest in government bonds approved during the 2024 AGM has not been implemented because MPs require high liquidity during election periods, a demand expected to rise after the swearing-in of the next Parliament in May 2026.
“Once you put money in bonds, you tie it there for a long time. The Board is conscious not to lock away funds when members may need them in the short run,” Mureebe said.
Migadde also revealed that the Board is pushing for an extension of the tax waiver on SACCO income, which expires in 2027. “All SACCOs look up to the Parliamentary SACCO when it comes to lobbying and advocacy. We are already engaging others to ensure the waiver is extended,” he said, adding that the cooperative movement is “stronger together than divided.”
He further informed members of government plans to have SACCOs registered under the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), saying Parliament will consult widely before taking a position.
The AGM also heard that the SACCO earned a profit of UGX 2 billion from compensation paid by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in Mityana.
