Museveni Directs Audit of Shs231bn Allocated to Veterans’ Wealth Creation Programme

Updated by HICGI News Agency at 1138 EAT on Wednesday 10 June 2026

President Yoweri Museveni has directed leaders of veterans’ associations to convene for a comprehensive audit of more than Shs231 billion disbursed under various government programmes intended to improve the livelihoods of veterans.

The directive was issued during this year’s Heroes’ Day celebrations, held virtually from State House, Nakasero. Museveni said the exercise would establish how funds allocated since 2008 were utilised and whether the intended beneficiaries received the support provided by the government.

According to the President, the review will revisit resolutions made during a 2009 meeting with veterans’ leaders, where the government agreed to provide Shs5 million to each recognised liberation war leader and his spouse.

The meeting also resolved that other cadres who participated in the liberation struggle would each receive Shs1.5 million.

Museveni said the audit would verify how much each category of beneficiary received and assess whether the programme achieved its intended objective of improving household incomes among veterans.

He noted that the findings would help government determine the effectiveness of the initiative and guide future interventions aimed at enhancing the welfare of veterans and their families.

Museveni clarified that the Shs231 billion under review does not include agricultural inputs distributed through Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), which he said was implemented as a separate intervention.

He recalled that when OWC was launched, he directed that veterans’ families be prioritised among the first beneficiaries of seedlings and other agricultural inputs to support their transition into commercial agriculture.

The President said officials overseeing OWC would also participate in the planned meeting to account for the implementation and impact of those interventions.

While acknowledging that many veterans have since passed away, Museveni said the government would explore mechanisms to ensure that surviving family members, particularly children, continue to benefit from programmes established in recognition of their parents’ contribution to Uganda’s liberation struggle.

He also proposed reforms to the management of veterans’ Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (Saccos), arguing that smaller, community-based structures would enhance accountability, improve oversight and make financial services more accessible to members.

Drawing parallels with the Parish Development Model (PDM), Museveni proposed restructuring veterans’ Saccos to operate closer to local communities, arguing that decentralised structures would enhance supervision, strengthen accountability and encourage greater member participation.

The President also announced plans to establish seedling multiplication centres at presidential farms, including Kawumu Presidential Farm and Gomba Presidential Farm, to guarantee a reliable supply of quality planting materials for veterans engaged in agriculture.

He said the initiative would complement existing wealth-creation programmes and help increase productivity and household incomes among veterans.

Museveni cited several beneficiaries who had successfully invested government grants in livestock rearing and coffee farming, saying their experiences demonstrated how prudent use of modest capital can transform rural livelihoods.

Earlier, the Minister of State for the Luwero Triangle, Alice Kaboyo, reported that the government had paid one-off gratuities to 13,681 veterans under the current phase of compensation. The payments bring the cumulative number of civilian veterans compensated by the government to 93,514.

-Observer

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