Arnold Ageta
West Mugirango MP Stephen Mogaka has re-launched the Uwezo Fund in West Mugirango after five years of inactivity in the constituency.
The fund was suspended five years ago due to widespread defaulting, which led to accumulated debts.
During the launch event at the CDF Hall in Nyamira town, Mogaka, who also serves as the patron of the fund in the constituency, urged defaulters to settle their debts by December 31 of this year.
“The defaulters caused the suspension of this fund, and I am putting them on notice to repay before the year ends so that the constituency may be allocated more funds to help women’s groups,” Mogaka stated.
Addressing the current beneficiary groups, Mogaka said he would continue to advocate for increased allocations of the fund for West Mugirango.
“Kenya cannot develop if we, as individuals, do not put effort into engaging in economic development activities. That is why we are gathered here,” the MP said.
Mogaka also promised to repay the debts of genuine defaulters who were unable to pay due to unavoidable circumstances.
Additionally, he pledged to support the financial growth of self-help groups to alleviate poverty in West Mugirango.
He encouraged members of the various groups to double their efforts in engaging in business and other income-generating activities so that West Mugirango could become a model constituency not only in Nyamira County but in Kenya.
Speaking at the launch, West Mugirango Uwezo Fund Manager, Beatrice Mogendi, urged the groups to embrace the Uwezo Fund to improve their lives.
“In your groups, ensure that 70 percent of the membership and all leadership positions are held by women to qualify for funding from the Uwezo Fund,” she advised.
Ms. Mogendi explained that groups initially qualify for amounts between KES 50,000 and KES 150,000, with a grace period of three months.
“Once you receive the cheque, you are required to start repaying after three months, but make sure you repay your loan within a year to qualify for additional funding,” she told the groups.
She also encouraged the groups to register with the Department of Social Services, noting that defaulting is one of the reasons why groups collapse.
“Some of the challenges affecting the operation of the Uwezo Fund in West Mugirango include failure to repay loans and the collapse of groups,” she said.
West Mugirango Uwezo Fund Committee Chair, John Onchiri, assured that they would ensure the groups benefiting from this launch repay their loans as required by the Fund.
“We thank the MP for his efforts in restoring the operation of the fund in West Mugirango, and we are requesting an increase in allocation from the current KES 5 million,” he said.
Stephen Mogaka issued funding cheques to 13 women’s self-help groups from various wards in West Mugirango to help them boost their income-generating activities.
