Jinja, February 7, 2026 – The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, MTIC completed a major 3-day Cooperative Clinic and Stakeholder’s conference in Jinja City to extend cooperative services closer to the people in the Busoga region. The clinic drew thousands of dedicated cooperators, representing 11 districts, 3 municipalities, and Jinja City, in a vibrant display of community engagement and economic purpose.

The “Cooperative Clinic,” held at Kakindu Stadium, was organized by the Ministry in partnership with The Microfinance Support Centre, The Uhuru Institute for Social Development, Pearl Bank Uganda, CIC Insurance Company, and DFCU Bank.

The event aimed to tackle problems of poor leadership, mismanagement, and political interference that have left many cooperatives dormant or failing. Officials noted that while Busoga has many registered cooperatives, a significant number are inactive compared to regions like Ankole, Bugisu, and Buganda.

Furthermore, the clinic addressed the collapse of cooperatives in the Busoga sub-region. This decline has been linked to persistent poverty, slowing development and leaving some families struggling to afford basic needs.

“We are here to understand why Busoga is lagging behind and to address those challenges,” said Bugweri District Commercial Officer, Kyampa Lubanga. He explained the clinic was part of the Ministry’s mandate to strengthen cooperatives by providing registration, certification, and training directly to communities.

During the clinic, members shared common issues including leaders stealing funds, lack of knowledge about cooperative laws, and problems with loan repayments. In response, trainers from the Ministry and its partners advised on strict compliance with the Cooperative Societies Act, proper record-keeping, and avoiding family appointments in leadership roles.

Over 50 SACCOs affiliated with Born Again Churches received special training to become cooperative facilitators. Officials clarified that the initiative was not for tax collection, noting cooperatives are exempt from income tax until 2027.

“The government is interested in seeing people grow together through cooperatives. That is why cooperatives were exempted from income tax until 2027,” said Kyampa.

Scovia Tusubira, a cooperative officer from MTIC, said the ministry is working closely with other stakeholders to fulfil its mandate.

“Although many cooperatives in the Busoga region are registered, they are not performing well. That is why the ministry is here — to train them on how they can improve and operate sustainably,” she said.

Jinja Town Clerk Mr. Choli John, while closing the event urged cooperators to unite for development. “Now that the elections are over, let us unite. Fragmentation only delays our collective economic development,” he said.

The representative to the Resident City Commissioner (RCC) of Jinja City Mr. Balidawa Paul, who was the Chief Guest also emphasized the power of numbers. “The more members, the stronger the cooperative. If each member in a cooperative of 1000 people saves 10k per month, that is 10m all together” he said.

The representative of the Permanent Secretary MTIC, Mr. Joseph Paul Ocatum urged cooperators to also strengthen the foundations of the old cooperatives like Busoga Growers Cooperative, as they manoeuvre the path of creating new ones “We need to strengthen what we have, that’s why we haven’t deregistered Busoga growers. We just need to follow their steps” he added

The cooperative clinic Jinja was a success. Throughout the 3 days, the Ministry registered over 200 new registrations of cooperatives. And over 120 registered cooperatives in Busoga attended. The event closed with a stakeholder’s meeting at City Hall, attended by representatives of cooperative leaders, District Commercial Officers, credit institutions among others.

The Resident City Commissioner of Jinja City, Mr. Richard Gulume in his opening remarks encouraged stakeholders to fight the perception of “Basoga are broke people. “Every year government adds 20m to the Myoga fund, our constituency has about 18 myoga groups, hence 360m every year” he said. Gulume advised stakeholders to stop speculating but rather be focused and take action to develop their cooperatives and its members.

Representatives of different cooperatives from the region were inspired by Kyamuhunga People’s SACCO (KYAPS) and Muhame Financial Services Cooperative Limited, on how they have done better in areas of governance, human resource, auditing, innovation, logistics and other areas. Later, was a Q&A session from stakeholders, and panel discussion of partners chaired by Mr. Joseph Paul Ocatum

The Ministry expressed gratitude to all partners and participants, the clinic marks an important step in revitalizing cooperatives to fight poverty and build a stronger local economy in Busoga.