200 saving groups trained as MP Opio Acuti taps MSC for Kole North wealth creation.
By Okidi Patrick
Kole, UGANDA— Barely a week after taking his solemn oath of office for the 12th Parliament, Kole North County legislator Hon. Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti has hit the ground running, collaborating with the Microfinance Support Centre (MSC) to train over 200 saving groups and SACCOs on financial management and asset-free credit access.
The intensive, one-day sensitization training, held on Saturday at Alito Primary School in Alito Town Council, drew at least 600 grassroots participants. Each participating group was represented by its executive core—the chairperson, treasurer, and secretary—who will now serve as trainers of trainees (ToTs) and financial ambassadors within their respective villages.
Asset-Free 5m Shs- 50m Loans Unlocked:
Addressing the massive gathering on Saturday at Alito Primary school in Alito Town Council, Hon. Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti revealed that the partnership with MSC is a deliberate strategy to shield rural savers from predatory commercial lenders and some banking institution and micro-institutions that advocate for security collaterals.
“I have brought this training directly to our people so they can access formal credit lines without being forced to mortgage critical livelihood assets like land titles, family gardens, motorcycles, or vehicles,” Dr. Opio Acuti stated. “Our people have lost valuable property at giveaway prices due to harsh loan conditions. This must stop.”
The MP pledged to sustain this socio-economic transformation ans wealth creation drive throughout his 2026–2031 legislative term to ensure no one is left behind. To demonstrate his personal commitment, Dr. Opio Acuti promised to formally register as an active member of every single saving or cooperative group across Kole North County. He also narrated that a second phase of the training targeting an additional 200 saving groups will be conducted next month.
The Microfinance Support Centre Zonal Branch Manager for the Lango and Acholi sub-regions, Mable Nabadda, commended the constituency’s high turnout and urged the groups to immediately align their internal books of accounts with standard financial guidelines.
Nabadda disclosed that the MSC is fully prepared to disburse low-interest development loans ranging from Shs 5 million to Shs 50 million to qualified saving groups and SACCOs that meet the basic compliance criteria and operational requirements.
Constituents Applaud MP Acuti for Timely Lobby:
Grassroots beneficiaries expressed overwhelming gratitude to the legislator for prioritizing economic empowerment immediately after his re-election.
George Okello, a resident of Apala Parish in Alito Town Council, shared his group’s growth story, noting that they started with just 15 members three years ago and have now expanded to 74 savers. “This credit boost will primarily help us pay school fees for our children on time. Opio Acuti is proving to be a real, development-oriented leader,” Okello remarked.
Similarly, Grace Aceng, the chairperson of the Obanga En Amio Women Group based in Abako ‘A’ Village, Ayala Parish, stated that their Women Savibg Group began with 15 members in 2024 and successfully utilized a Shs 9 million grant from the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP). Now boasts 60 active members, the group specializes in large-scale agricultural produce buying and selling. Aceng praised Hon MP Dr. Samuel Acuti for creating a free, direct channel to top-tier financial trainers.
To safeguard the incoming wealth creation funds from bureaucratic extortion, Hon. Dr. Opio Acuti issued a stern warning to local government actors including LCs and community mobilizers against soliciting bribes from the beneficiaries.
The legislator officially provided a dedicated constituency hotline, urging all residents to instantly report any rogue individual demanding kickbacks or administrative charges in exchange for accessing these free government-backed financial empowerment programs to him directly.
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