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Lira Taxi Operators EMYOGA SACCO 100% Ready to Welcome President Museveni, Speaker Anita Among.
By Okidi Patrick
LIRA CITY, UGAND – January 7, 2025: Lira City’s taxi operators under the EMYOGA SACCO have declared themselves fully prepared to host President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Rt. Hon. Anita Among, the Speaker of Parliament, during their upcoming visit to the city this Thursday. The group, once operating as the Lira Municipality Taxi Operators EMYOGA SACCO, says it stands as a shining example of grassroots economic transformation fueled by government support.
In a media briefing held on Wednesday evening at their office opposite the Lira City Bus Park, SACCO officials and members expressed immense gratitude to the government for its transformative Emyooga Fund initiative, crediting it with revitalizing their transport business and uplifting livelihoods across the city.
Bernard Anyeko Masanga, General Secretary of the Lira Minicipality Taxi Operators EMYOGA SACCO, told reporters that the SACCO, established in 2020, received a seed capital of Shs 30 million in March 2021 under the national Emyooga Programme. The funds were part of Shs 2.5 billion disbursed to various SACCOs in Lira District and Lira City.
Instead of distributing the money, members collectively decided at their Annual General Meeting (AGM) to invest the entire amount in a commercial taxi. The move has since yielded impressive returns.
“We earn between Shs 120,000 and 150,000 daily from the taxi,” Masanga revealed. “This income is being reinvested into the SACCO, helping us grow our loan portfolio from Shs 30 million to over Shs 60 million in just a few years. We’ve also created jobs and are transforming lives in Lira City.”
The SACCO now boasts over 150 active members, with more joining regularly. It has evolved into one of the best-performing Emyooga SACCOs in the region, offering savings schemes and low-interest loans to members for personal and business development.
Edward, a resident of Lira City West Division, shared how the SACCO changed his life. “From my savings, I accessed a loan of Shs 5 million, which I used to start a piggery business,” he said. “Today, I am able to feed my family, educate my children, and contribute to community development. This SACCO is a blessing.”
Despite their progress, members acknowledged that more support is needed to scale operations. Through Masanga, they made a humble appeal to Speaker Anita Among, who represents Lira City Women in Parliament, to consider additional funding to boost their activities.
“We are not asking for handouts, but a boost to expand our fleet and improve service. With better vehicles, we can serve more people and generate more income for members,” Masanga stated.
As part of their appreciation, the SACCO has mobilized members to campaign vigorously for National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidates in the upcoming elections. They are rallying support for President Museveni, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng as Women MP, Ogweng Eddy Moris for Lira City North, Alyela Denis for Lira City East, and current Mayor Sam Atul.
Masanga emphasized that the community’s loyalty to President Museveni is unwavering. “Because of the good roads, jobs, peace, and the Emyooga SACCO, we are giving President Museveni 100 percent of our votes,” he declared. “We see the results in our daily lives. This visit will be a celebration of our shared success.”
The anticipated campaign rally by President Museveni and Speaker Among Anita is expected to draw thousands of RM supporters to Lira city center, where president Yoweri Museveni is expected to campaign at 11:00 AM in Golf course after the first rally in Kole District on Thursday 8th, January , 2026.
Lira City, elevated from municipality status in 2020, continues to emerge as a model of urban economic revival in Northern Uganda — and the EMYOGA SACCO’s success story is fast becoming a national inspiration.
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