By Spy Uganda
The 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 revelation was made by Buvuma County MP Robert Migadde, the chairperson of the Parliamentary SACCO, during its Annual General Meeting on 28 November 2025.
Migadde said the SACCO cannot release the funds because of incomplete member records and ongoing family wrangles. “Some members did not fill in their bio-data forms or indicate 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 determine who should receive the money,” he said.
He highlighted 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. Migadde urged all members to update their bio-data to ease future processing of benefits.
Presenting the SACCO’s performance, Migadde reported steady growth over the past five years. Loans and advances increased from UGX 7.96 billion in 2020/21 to UGX 25 billion by June 2025, while savings grew from UGX 17.1 billion to UGX 58 billion over the same period. Share capital also rose from UGX 3.3 billion in 2021 to UGX 5.7 billion by June 2025.
He added that 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 said.
Methods Mureebe, the SACCO’s Chief Executive Officer, said a proposal approved during the 2024 AGM to invest in government bonds has not been implemented because MPs typically require high liquidity during election seasons, a demand expected to increase 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 noted.
Migadde also revealed that the Board is lobbying 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 about government plans to have SACCOs registered under the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), saying Parliament will consult widely before taking a final 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.
